


Dragon's Bane

by crazylilbbh



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragon Riders, Grand Adventures, High Fantasy, M/M, Minor Character Death, Missions, Regret, dragon hunter - Freeform, fighting scenes, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 54,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27163588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazylilbbh/pseuds/crazylilbbh
Summary: Alive.That was the only word that beat through Do Kyungsoo's heart, that rang in his ears.The only word that mattered.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 19
Kudos: 58
Collections: EXO MONSTERFEST 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #: 027
> 
> ~°~
> 
> Wow, I can't believe it's finally here—the first fic I actually finished writing [with all the struggles in between]. I am at a loss for words. 
> 
> First, I'd like to thank the mods for being so understanding and giving me all this time to finish. Huhu really, I tried my best to hit the deadlines. Second, I'd like to thank the prompter for giving that wonderful prompt that really sparked my love for writing. I hope I did it some justice even if it's not what you had initially had in mind. Third, I'd like to thank my betas J and V. Oh man, struggle was completely real these past few months but at least we were able to finish it...on the deadliest deadline. HAHA.
> 
> Finally, I sincerely hope you enjoy this little story in this fantasy world of my making, inspired from every type of media I have consumed: animes, mangas, novels and TV shows.

_Eleven years ago_

The rattling of the carriage woke him up as it rolled over a bump in the road.

Do Kyungsoo groaned, pushing off the heavy body of another child who had fallen against him. Both their chains clattered a somber tune on their tiny wrists as they shuffled away from each other. The kid sniffled, muttering an apology before he turned to the other side to go back to sleep. Kyungsoo grunted back, annoyed, before peering at the other dreary faces in the cramped carriage. The scent of blood, dirt, and something rancid pierced the stale air; fear and hopelessness amidst it. Moving his foot on the wooden floor, he brushed against something wet in the darkness. 

He refused to think about it.

Whimpers, whispered prayers and the constant chattering of teeth and clinking of chains filled their wooden prison—a requiem for an impending fate. Kyungsoo closed his eyes again, silently counted to ten, and hoped to ignore them all.

He had to catch what little sleep he could before he met whatever fate awaited for him at the end of the road. The night was long and sleep was short. Pulling against the chains that bound his limbs together, he shifted to get into a better position.

Another ragged bump sent him tumbling into the kid before him as the carriage tilted precariously to the left, the carriage careening right. They were traveling fast and through treacherous terrain—a mountain road of some sort from the ditches and rocks that caused him such winkless sleep. 

There had been no mountains in the village where he once lived. 

Kyungsoo scrambled back to his side. Bright eyes met his in the dark, reflecting the pale light of the moon that sifted through the cracks.

“We’ve been traveling for so long.” 

He didn’t reply, only eyeing the kid about his age completely covered in rags more tattered than his. 

“Do you know where they’re taking us?”

In the dead of the night, the other might as well have shouted it. No one had been brave enough to ask that since they were thrown into the carriage hours ago. Some of the kids were bleeding, some were already passed out yet all Kyungsoo heard were broken pleas and powerless begging as child after child was pushed into the darkness of this wooden prison before settling into the resigned silence that deafened them now.

It seemed that everyone had already accepted their fate.

“I don’t,” Kyungsoo finally said.

The last thing he remembered before waking up in this godforsaken carriage was running through the streets in his hometown, two pieces of bread clutched firmly in his hands as he evaded both the baker and the soldiers sent to chase him. He just about turned the corner of an alley, a few steps away from his safe haven of an abandoned building when—nothing. He couldn’t remember what had happened next.

“I heard voices from the front,” whispered the kid. He clutched his knees closer to him, fidgeting hands and clanking chains over shivering bones. “They’re going to sell us off.”

Slaves. Fear was not a foreign taste on Kyungsoo's tongue but it was bitter all the same. Of all run-ins he could have possibly had in his ten years of existence, it had to be this. Each hollowed breath he took was heavier but each one drew in even more anger than the first. Kyungsoo clenched his fists—allowed the feeling to settle in his bones. What he was mad about, he didn’t quite know.

It was hours before someone made a sound again beyond the usual rattling of chains but it was a wailing cry for help when the carriage stopped and a child nearest the end was forcefully pulled outside; legs kicking and scrambling the last thing the nine other kids saw, before the metal door was roughly shut once again. No one huddled there after that.

But hour after hour passed and more children were taken until only five were left.

The girl beside the boy who spoke earlier began crying and Kyungsoo watched in silence as he pulled her in close. He rocked the little girl, rubbing his chained hand up her arms as soothingly as he could, murmuring words too soft for anyone to hear. No one spoke again, everyone too worried about their own fate to say anything in the heavy silence that lingered. 

From what Kyungsoo could tell as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he was probably the eldest in that carraige.

Was this all that his life amounted to then? His last few hours, chained, awaiting whatever dark fate there was beyond those doors? Was this lonesome night the end of him if things went wrong? He’d be lucky enough, he guessed, if he ended up a slave for hard labor after all. It wouldn’t be easy but it’d at least keep him alive for another few years. From what he heard when all the other kids earlier that night were sold to—no, he didn’t want to think about it at all. It was bad enough that their screams would be the last he’d ever hear from them.

“I won’t let them take us.”

The words came as a surprise. And where it came from even more so.

It was the boy, his eyes their own light in the dark. Despite the quiet tone, every word of his dripped with determination, drawing Kyungsoo in—a tiny ember against the night. Maybe he had underestimated him, thinking him to be one of those who let their fear takeover. Clearly he had more mettle.

There were less bumps now, leveling out enough for Kyungsoo to guess they were at least traveling down a well-trodden road.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Kyungsoo asked. Misjudged he had, perhaps, but there was always a thin line between recklessness and bravery. He had to gauge just where this kid’s determination lay.

The other was silent for a moment, dark hair casting a deeper shadow over his face. They looked about to be the same age or close enough. What could an eleven year old do against these men? Kyungsoo had almost completely dismissed whatever he saw mere minutes ago when the boy spoke again.

“Watch me.”

Before the hour was up, the carriage stopped again. The boy had positioned himself closer to the door, switching places with the little girl. She grabbed onto him, a feeble attempt to stop him, but all he did was smile softly at her as he gently pried her fingers away.

“When you see an opening, run as far and as fast as you can,” he whispered, looking each one in the eye before finally settling on Kyungsoo. “And remember, don’t _ever_ look back.”

“You’re mad,” Kyungsoo hissed, getting up. “You can’t possibly—”

“I know,” the boy cut in. “But it'll give you all a fighting chance and maybe enough time to get away from here.” He swallowed, probably the only hint of fear he'd let the others see. "It's the only thing we can do now."

Kyungsoo was dumbfounded. Complete and utter stupidity, that's what this was. The boy couldn't expect to win from a fight like this. There was just no chance. Why was he risking his life for four strangers he didn't even know the names of? It was beyond anything Kyungsoo's ten-year-old mind could comprehend.

Kyungsoo reached out to stop him but the metal door opened and the boy was hauled out before he could even think about it.

Only this time, it didn't shut so quickly.

"One more, right?" A gruff voice sounded before a hand reached into the darkness, aiming for the little girl who was nearest. She scrambled back, wailing, tears desperately running down her face.

It only took Kyungsoo a split second to decide. He pushed the little girl out of the way of the reaching hand and was picked up instead only to be thrown on the ground with such force his teeth shook.

"You'll do," said someone else, his voice a slimy sticky one that pierced Kyungsoo's ears. He raised his eyes to meet a skinny man—hooked nose and crooked teeth the most prominent features.

He was pulled to his feet by another person, a gruff man with too much facial hair beneath his hood. Kyungsoo scanned the place immediately, taking everything his eyes could register—a reflex he picked up from stealing off the streets. There was nothing but forest and dark winding roads that led to who knows where. It was still dark but Kyungsoo knew that dawn was almost upon them.

There were three men in the little clearing they stopped in. One of them was holding the other boy by the scruff of his neck.

Kyungsoo steeled himself. How was he to fight three full-grown men with just his chained—

 _Oh_.

Kyungsoo gripped the chain linking his two wrists. It wasn't much but he knew it could still deal an amount of damage, maybe even enough to buy him and the boy some time to escape. Just like what they would do for the other kids in the carriage.

The boy glanced at him for a moment—a signal, he realized belatedly—before the other twisted in his captor's grasp, ripping his shirt in the process, and bit the kidnapper's hand hard. The man shouted in surprise, letting go. In the next second the boy bent down, grabbing dirt and flinging it at the man's face.

"You fucking rat!" He roared, clutching his eyes.

The skinny man rushed to help his comrade but they heard a _clink_ and before he knew it, he was hit in the face with one of the manacles that was on the boy’s wrist. The boy had somehow picked the lock in the hours in the carriage of his one hand. The manacle dangled, connected to the other that was still chained. What Kyungsoo had perceived as fidgeting earlier in the carriage, amidst all the rattling of chains, was the boy trying to escape.

He had to admit he was impressed.

"Now!" The boy yelled towards the other kids in the carriage. "Move _now_!"

Kyungsoo moved then, too, doing the same thing to get out of his own grip. Only he didn't go for the dirt but instead went for the man's family jewels before sending a knee straight to his face when the man bent down to clutch his precious. There was a satisfying _crunch_ as the man crumpled before him. Dirty tricks they played but they didn't care. 

All that mattered now was keeping his kidnapper's focus on him.

"You'll pay for this!" The man reached blindly for him as blood poured down his face, disappearing into his beard. Kyungsoo dodged him quickly. He was easily twice his size; the only upper hand they had was their surprise attack. He had to make the most of it.

He glanced quickly at the carriage where the only other boy left was helping the other two little girls out. _Good_ , Kyungsoo thought. At least they had listened to the boy.

Kyungsoo turned back to his captor who was starting to get up. He had to make a run for it now. Moving in the opposite direction as the carriage, he picked up some rocks in passing—one last jest to make sure their focus was on him and the boy and not on the kids who were secretly trying to escape.

“Over here, asshole!”

“Get ‘em quickly! The buyers will be here any minute!” One of the men roared. “How hard is it to capture two measly boys?!”

Kyungsoo launched the rock straight at his captor’s face. Then another just for good measure. They hit the man dead center, right where Kyungsoo had broken his nose. He had always been a good shot, and it stayed true now in this dire situation. He turned to move but a look towards the other boy fighting paused him for a moment.

The boy was fast and agile where Kyungsoo was not. And he dealt with two of the other slave traders single-handedly. Trained, maybe, or just desperate enough to live past tonight—that's what Kyungsoo understood as he saw the other fight. With a flourish, the boy wrapped his chains around one of the captors and choked the life out of him.

The other man, the one that had dirt flung in his eyes, stood up and finally drew a dagger.

Kyungsoo’s heart leapt to his throat. They knew these traders had to have at least weapons on them, had bet their lives on the surprise their attack brought, but it was a completely different story seeing it in the flesh. Glancing between the freedom the dark forest offered and the boy, it stopped him in his tracks. Never mind the other man in the clearing who was still struggling to get up from his rock assault.

Kyungsoo hesitated.

“You’re going to pay for this,” bit out the man with the chain on his throat, his teeth completely bloody. A distraction, to keep the boy from noticing the man that approached him from behind.

The man raised the dagger above his head, a second away from slashing—

_CRACK!_

Kyungsoo threw the biggest rock he held with all his might, already running towards the skinny man with the dagger, tackling him as hard as he could. He had no plan in mind, just that he had to move and get that man’s attention off the other boy.

“Argh!” The man growled, losing his hold on the dagger. Kyungsoo scrambled after it but the slave trader he tackled was quicker, grabbing onto his foot causing him to fall.

Kyungsoo kicked him in the face, managing to dislodge the grip, only to be hauled up to his feet by his own captor a mere second later. With a bloody grin, he launched a fist to his gut, knocking the wind out of Kyungsoo, before landing another to his face. He fell again, seeing stars where he definitely should _not_ be seeing them. The world tilted, then spun. 

A kick came flying towards his gut and it took all that was left of Kyungsoo's strength to brace himself for it.

By some miracle, the chains and manacles provided a few layers of protection but still, he felt that kick, strong enough to send him flying. Another second later and he felt electric pain shoot up his side.

_Damn._

“Is that all you got?” he rasped, managing to cast a smirk on his face. He spat out blood. “Even little babies hit harder than that."

Another kick to his torso. This time he was sure something cracked in his ribs.

The man grinned. “Oh, this _one_ I will enjoy cutting into pieces.” He pulled out a set of wicked looking blades from his back, all jagged and sharp that curved at the tip.

 _Ah_. He really shouldn’t have gone back and played hero.

The man swung down but a chained manacle came flying out of nowhere, hitting him in the face, causing him to stumble to the side. Kyungsoo watched the boy quickly pull back the manacle, lassoing it again before shooting it out towards the other man, hitting again his mark. The captor immediately scrambled back, slipping and sliding in the gravel as he moved to get away.

“Come on!” The boy grabbed onto him, pulling Kyungsoo towards the forest before the other men could come. “Hurry!”

Kyungsoo grunted, struggling to keep up but pain once again shot up his side. It hurt to move—fire burned on his left, making it harder to breathe with every step. He was sure the kick had cracked a rib…or two.

The boy glanced at him and in one swift motion, looped Kyungsoo’s arm over his tiny shoulders, taking half of his weight.

“I know it hurts,” he said, sweat beading down his face and his breaths just as ragged as Kyungsoo’s, “but bear with it just until we can get out of—”

They stumbled and in the next second, things turned to shit.

Kyungsoo watched in horror as the boy was pulled back forcefully towards the skinny man, his hand wrapped around the chained manacle that was still connected to the boy's wrist. In the man's other hand was the dagger from before.

Only this time it had found its mark.

“ _No_ ,” Kyungsoo rasped as with a sickening sound, the captor slid out the dagger.

The boy stumbled back, clutching his bleeding torso.

“You thought you could get away, you rotten bastards,” the man smirked, raising the dagger up to lick the slick wet blood that dripped from the tip. Maniacal laughter pierced the air as the man’s eyes perked up in excitement as he pinned them on the boy. “My my, what do we have here. I _knew_ we should have gutted you the moment we found you, boy.”

The other glared, his eyes burning again with determination. The embers in them roared into a blazing fire.

Kyungsoo knew then that if this was death staring him in the face, the boy would greet it standing.

Idiot. Brave, reckless idiot.

“If you want him, you’ll have to go through me.”

Kyungsoo surprised himself as much as the next person. It seemed that the boy’s ways had completely rubbed off on him. He can't just _not_ do something in this situation. He stepped towards the other, shielding him as much as he could, despite every inch of his being screaming at him to run—to _get the hell out_. This was not like Kyungsoo at all. 

Still, he stared that man down, the slight tremors in his hand the only betrayal of the fear and hopelessness that ran through him. 

Chains clinked and a warm hand met his, conveying nothing and everything. He clutched it gratefully.

“Fucking rats,” said the man before he slashed down.

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, waiting for the strike of death—but none came. All that broke the silence of the clearing were the night owls hooting back to their nests. 

He peeked a glance and found a much thinner yet longer dagger sticking out from the man’s head, the look of complete shock still written on his face before he slowly dropped to the ground.

A black blur caught his attention and he heard grunts behind the man—the other two men were down; a heavily hooded figure armed to the teeth stood over them, twin swords dripping in blood.

Someone sighed to their right. “Yoona, I said _maim_ them not kill them.”

“Too late, Siwon.” The hooded figure sheathed her blades. "I had already moved."

But that was all Kyungsoo heard before the boy collapsed beside him, the scent of his blood rising with the dawn.

Kyungsoo waited anxiously outside the tent, his knee bouncing nervously with every tick of the clock. The sun beat angrily down his back, but still, he did not move from his spot on the makeshift seat made of logs. 

Hours had passed since the pair— _hunters_ , they were called—brought Kyungsoo and the other children they had rounded up to a base in a clearing in the middle of the forest. There were three tents that had been set up around a warm fire when they arrived. Two rabbits and a pheasant roasted on stokes were slowly rotated by a third person with flowing chestnut brown hair dressed in the same style as the other two hunters.

The huntress had looked up, concern flitting through her delicate features as she took in the lot of them as soon as they entered. However, it was the bleeding boy the man carried that immediately alarmed her.

She stood. "What hap—"

"He's alive." Kyungsoo croaked out. "Help him. You have to help him!" He had heard she was a healer from the other two and a pretty good one at that. He prayed she had it in her to save him.

Without any hesitation, she headed to the tent in the middle. "In here, Siwon," she said. "I'll see what I can do."

The last part Kyungsoo knew was directed at him. For some reason, it still didn't ease up the slowly growing knot of anxiousness that formed in his gut.

So he waited and waited. The other huntress, Yoona, offered him some rabbit skewered on a piece of twig but he picked at it, only eating after he had seen her take a hefty bite out of hers—just to be sure.

Still, Kyungsoo didn't have the appetite. The little girl, the same one he had shoved out of the way back when they were in the carriage, moved to sit beside him on the logs and he offered what was left of his meat to her. She took it hesitantly, muttering her thanks, before she, too, turned to the tent and waited as he knew the rest of the kids who sat around the campfire did.

No words were exchanged. None were needed.

The sun had just begun to dip before the healer, Taeyeon—Kyungsoo had picked up her name from the snippets of conversation that passed—emerged from the tent again. She had her hair tied up in a bun and sweat dripping down her face as she neared them.

Kyungsoo hurriedly stood from his seat, ignoring the sharp bite of pain that erupted on his left side but wincing all the same.

"He'll be fine," Taeyeon smiled, her pretty features lighting up. “He's very lucky to have gotten off easy that attack but we still shouldn’t move him for a couple of days.”

Kyungsoo finally let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“You, on the other hand, look like you could collapse any sec—”

He didn’t hear anything else. Kyungsoo rushed into the tent, Taeyeon calling after him to wait, but his entire focus was on the boy on the cot—awake, breathing, and most importantly _alive_.

“Hey,” the boy smiled tiredly, his tiny voice a little raspy. The fire in his eyes dulled to cooling embers. “We made it.”

Kyungsoo shook his head, stumbling a step towards him as his world tilted. _He’ll be fine. He’ll be okay. We made it_. “You absolutely reckless idiot.” And as if he couldn't help it, he asked, "Just... _why?_ "

Why would he do all that for complete strangers? 

"It was the right thing to do." The boy shrugged before offering a small smile to Kyungsoo. "The name's Jongin. Kim Jongin. Let's be friends."

And maybe that was all Kyungsoo needed to see, to hear—that the boy who risked his life for all of them would be alright. 

Kyungsoo finally allowed his darkness to take him.


	2. Chapter 2

_6x 1x 27xx The Present_

"Guild Master wants to see you."

Many things irked Do Kyungsoo in life, but the one thing he hated the most was being summoned right after finishing a grueling mission that took months to complete. Missions were usually either long or tedious but his recent one just happened to be both. He hadn't been home in two months. A day or two of rest was all he asked for but somehow, somewhere the master always found him a job to do.

“Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo groaned, chucking a pillow in the direction of the familiar voice. "Get out."

Zhang Yixing easily side-stepped the projectile, his hands raising to snatch the pillow mid-air, a knee-jerk reaction from the years of training that sharpened his reflexes. The healer was already all geared up for a mission in their usual hunting leathers, hair impeccably brushed back with not a strand out of place.

“You’re going to have to do better than blindly throwing pillows,” Yixing tilted his head to avoid a second one. “Is this what your training has taught you, Mr. Great Earth-shaker?” he added sarcastically.

Kyungsoo’s eyes shot icy daggers, but the other hunter ignored it. He had to give the man props for his boldness; Yixing deserved it. Many others would've run by now. Maybe that was what it was like to be born from a prestigious family though he hated to be treated as such.

“Oh give it a rest. You know I just got back, asshole.” Kyungsoo rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes. Early morning light filtered in through the curtains of his apartment, telling him he had only about three hours of actual sleep after arriving back in the city the night before. He was still reeling from the crazy dream he had—of traders and carriages and boys whose eyes burned with fire. He knew he’d be in a mood all day. 

Yixing stayed quiet and chose to lean on the one desk in the room instead as he waited for the other hunter to actually get up.

“Can’t it wait until the sun has _finally_ risen? Or at least until I had my morning brew of coffee?”

"Nope."

Kyungsoo stretched, wincing slightly when he realized his body was still sore all over from that last fight with the dragon. Even his mana had been drained completely—who would’ve thought that earth magic would’ve come in handy when fighting the beast—but from the slight rumbling of the ground beneath the bed, he knew it was recovering nicely. 

It had been more than a day since their battle had ended, mercifully without any drastic casualties, but the aftermath of their fight still left a slight number on him and his team. _Hunting hungover_ , one of his party members had called it—where the body ached instead of the mind.

Being a dragon hunter definitely had its perks: the glory, the fame, but most especially the rewards that came from slaying such a creature the common man would have difficulty to. However, other than the fact one would be facing a bloodthirsty beast with their life on the line, the morning after battles was definitely something Kyungsoo never got used to—much less liked—despite his years in the occupation.

“Master says it’s important,” said Yixing, interrupting his thoughts. “And urgent. Too urgent that he even bothered _me_ last night just when I got back from _my_ second mission in a week so I could tell _you_.” 

Kyungsoo snorted, glad he wasn’t the only one. Then again, everything the Guild Master ordered was always deemed important.

Yixing paused for a moment as he glanced around the place. He tutted, turning back to Kyungsoo who had just barely struggled into a sitting position. “You know, you’ve been living here for a year now but it still feels like you've just moved in. This place could use some color, man." 

Kyungsoo made a noncommittal sound in response as he headed straight to where he had left his sword by the desk. Changing quickly into a fresh set of hunting leathers, he glanced around the room, taking in the bed and his two dressers in the same monochromatic scheme the apartment came with when he first bought the place. The bearskin rug and the highback armchair before the fireplace were probably the most expensive-looking things he owned (even though he had gotten them at a flea market a year ago at a discounted price). 

Other than that, he didn’t have much of anything else. He hated to admit it but he had to agree with Yixing. 

Then again, Kyungsoo spent more time away than actually living in the apartment so there really was no point in decorating. Too many missions; too little time.

“Any more details he spared?” Kyungsoo asked, ignoring the healer's jab at his apartment as he strapped his sword in its usual place on his back. Grabbing his favorite pair of daggers and slipping them into the sheaths at his side, he turned back to Yixing, an exasperated look on his face. “The least he could do is try to pique my interest at this point.”

There was no getting out. A mission was a mission.

A spark of excitement glinted in Yixing’s gray eyes at his next words.

“The dragon rider’s been sighted.”

~°~

Kyungsoo and Yixing headed straight for headquarters at the city's center, stopping only to grab a few green apples on the way. They walked down the cobblestone roads, passing the main artery of the city—the quickest way to the guild.

He had to appreciate the sight. It had been a while since he was back.

The Kingdom of Elyx, the Jewel of the South, was a beautiful, prosperous land known for the richest spices their country produced and the purest jewels and iron ores mined from the mountains around. She was also known for the high concentration of magic abundant in everything. _Gods-blessed_ , the people from foreign lands would call her for kingdoms far and wide would brave the harsh seas to the west, and the treacherous mountain ranges to the east just for a taste of what Elyx had to offer. The heart of that jewel was her capital, Antiqa—a sprawling city of white that lay at the mouth of River Deux.

What kept Antiqa at the peak of demand was the guild of hunters that had made it their home. Established over a century ago by the first king of Elyx, anyone who needed anything: whether it’d be a basilisk’s tooth or hunting down dragons, the guild was the place to go—and most especially when you had the right price. Now over a good thousand hunters strong and missions coming in loads every day, this occupation was the most coveted job of all; going so far that even a feast day was given for the glory of the hunt.

But while many tried their hand at it, only a chosen handful had survived the trials and training long enough to live on to be a hunter.

The buttery smell of baked bread wafted through the air, making his stomach growl, but Kyungsoo resisted the urge to find the bakery. On other days, he might’ve enjoyed the view of the sun-bleached roofs or the cobblestone walkways of the city, but now was not the time when he could feel Yixing’s slight anxiousness in every step the other hunter took.

"Tell me about this rider," Kyungsoo said as they stalked through the city as if hellhounds were on their heels. "What have you heard?"

"He's a ghost," the hunter beside him replied. "He’s there one second and gone the next. That's what I heard from the hunters who had crossed paths with him."

Kyungsoo hummed, thinking back. He did hear of rumors in the taverns up north—of a man who rode the skies on beating wings—but passed it off as some poor drunkard's tale. The last hunt had taken his entire focus and caused him and his team to stay off-grid for extended periods of time. The twin-headed dragon that wreaked havoc in a mountain village on the other side of Elyx was a sneaky one, and it had taken them a while to track it and then take it down—even when they had a talented wind mage like Oh Sehun, whose inherent magical capacity surpassed most, on their side.

“The Master is quite pissed off. The number of failed missions bumped up after that dragon rider started intervening.” Yixing tsked, biting into his apple. "It cost the Guild quite a bit."

“So that's why he's hounding both our asses," Kyungsoo mused. "We’re the cleanup team."

This wasn't the first time he had been sent out by the Guild Master to get rid of minor inconveniences or if other teams hadn't been able to finish the mission. However this was the first he had ever been sent out to take out a dragon rider, and that was because none had existed until today. 

Dragons were wild, destructive, powerful beasts, capable of burning towns and villages to the ground when provoked. They fed off livestock or any poor unfortunate creature that happened to cross them and were known to guard their own jealously. Sometimes it took more than a four-man cell team to take a single dragon down—especially the bigger and stronger ones. 

To be able to control such a creature, much less ride one, he could never imagine.

From up ahead, at an intersection just a few blocks away from their guild headquarters, Kyungsoo caught sight of two tall figures dressed in the same hunting leathers as them, the signia of Elyx on their biceps glinting in the morning sun. He had always thought the signia—a roaring tiger on its hind legs with two swords crossed behind it—embroidered with gold thread was a bit too much for the simple uniform but the King himself had insisted every hunter wore it on their sleeve. It was a reminder, he had said, but for who and for what, Kyungsoo didn't know.

"Hey." The taller between the two raised a hand over the crowd as soon as he spotted Kyungsoo and Yixing. Wu Yifan grinned wolfishly as he and Oh Sehun fell into step with them. “Looks like we’re all here.”

Wu Yifan was your typical noble-born hunter from a family who had been hunters for generations even before his clan had moved to Antiqa to join the early years of the Guild. He had the looks and the confidence and skills in handling missions efficiently that it was no surprise he was also bothered for this cleanup.

Glancing once again at the team the Guild Master had definitely hand-picked himself, Kyungsoo knew then that ‘ _urgent_ ’ was a gross understatement. Two inherent mages, an inherent healer, and a hunter whose skill on applied wind magic was in and of itself a rival to most inherent users? This mission was more high profile than Yixing had made it seem. After all, you don't send your best players to take down something that can be dealt with easily.

"Took you a while to get back, Yixing. Did our dear little Earth-shaker cause you any trouble?" Yifan threw an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder, shaking him.

Sehun, on the other hand, greeted them with a nod but otherwise didn't say anything. Dark circles under his eyes, a mirror to Kyungsoo's own, told him that the wind mage got just about as much sleep as him.

Kyungsoo leveled Yifan with a glare but didn't say anything. He had known the noble for years and for this sprightly hunter, teasing from him was nothing new. 

"The usual." Yixing smiled wryly. "Ass firmly planted on his bed."

"Of course it'd be." Yifan reached up to mess with Kyungsoo's hair, but the hunter slapped his hand away. "Awe, don't be such a sourpuss, Soo." The taller pouted then cooed. "Is it bwecause you didn't get your wittle bweakfast?"

Kyungsoo sighed, flicking a wall of hard solid rock between them with a wave of his hand. "Gods, why are you always this loud in the morning."

"Ah, there's that feisty response I’ve been waiting for." Yifan barked out a laugh, leaping over the wall easily with his applied flight magic, even managing to do a backflip. He smirked, bowing at the applause from the audience, knowing they would be watching.

Kyungsoo and the others rolled their eyes. Again, nothing new.

Yifan clapped his hands together excitedly as they turned the corner, heading straight for the guild. "Now who's ready to catch this damn bastard?"

~°~

Hectic frenzy greeted Kyungsoo and his companions as they stepped through the already open heavy oak doors of the spatial elegant manor that housed the Guild. The gravel driveway behind them was packed with carriages and horses alike as hunters stormed past them, hauling weapons and goods about—either on their way to missions or just arriving from them. Some stopped to greet them with a nod but ultimately left them to do their business.

The Guild’s main lobby was inviting, letting in as much light from the sky dome above. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, branching out as pieces of jewels and glass shone and twinkled as it turned in the slight draft of the house. Kyungsoo didn’t put it past the first king to pick the best house in the residential district of Antiqa, with sprawling lands behind the main building perfect for the training grounds. The Guild was one of the legacies left behind by the first king and hunter of Elyx and probably one of Elyx’s greatest treasures.

To their left, past another set of doors, was the main hall where one could find the majority of the hunters throughout the day if they weren't out for training or missions. This was also where meals were served by the Guild or where formal events were held if the need arose for it. Yet since it was seven in the morning on a particularly normal day, the hunters were already rushing out and about, heading to where they needed to be. 

The door to their right opened to the information booths where missions were distributed to the different teams—the noise here was a different kind of busy to that of the main hall. This was also where the citizens could send in their missions. 

Kyungsoo peeked and saw Im Yoona, a long time friend and mentor, wave from behind the counters where she now managed the distribution. Kyungsoo bowed back, smiling before he went on his way.

A grand staircase stood in the middle of the high-ceilinged room that led to the second levels where the Guild Master’s office and some of the residential suites were. Due to most of the hunters boarding full time at the Guild, the Master was forced to build another building behind the main house, fronting the training grounds. Only those like Kyungsoo who had a place of their own or had their own families chose to live in the city.

The four hunters headed towards the staircase, passing a group of juniors that came out from the main hall, heading towards Information.

_I heard another accident happened._

_That’s the fifth one this month._

_Think it was the dragon rider? Hyungwon’s team caught sight of him just before it happened._

“Everyone’s restless.” Yixing sighed as the group disappeared behind the other set of doors. “The stories have caused the Guild to be more cautious than ever. Apparently not only had this rider caused missions to fail, but the Guild’s lost more hunters these past few months than all the other years combined.”

“Strange," Kyungsoo said, frowning. “Dragon cases are rare these days. If I remember correctly, there have only been about four or five reports in the past six months including the one I was on. Other than those, all other creatures are manageable.”

Accidents were common in missions, even more so when given assignments involved creatures as dangerous as dragons and the teams went unprepared. Most of the time though, if they were lucky, hunters could get away with a few minor injuries that could be healed by the common healing magic learned by hunters in their training. Other times, it'd take a visit to a healer whose healing abilities were inherent. 

Losing a hunter’s life always tended to make more of an impact on the guild than an unfinished mission but the latter was still something the Guild Master frowned upon.

“Not all hunters are as skilled as you, Soo. Except for me, of course. Most have their own beasts to struggle with,” remarked Yifan with a laugh, shaking his head. In the next second, his face slipped into seriousness. “But no, some of these hunters were found with slashes on their body—not the usual wounds you’d find inflicted by creatures. The bodies were discovered that way after every encounter with the rider. The Master told the teams to keep it hush so as to not cause panic. He promised he'd find the one responsible but still, rumors spread like wildfire.”

"Hmm." Kyungsoo nodded. Based on the circumstances, it was only logical to assume it was the rider. But a word caught his attention. “Some?” he asked, stopping. "What do you mean 'some'?"

Yifan and the others paused as well, finding themselves in the Hall of Fame, a hallway dedicated to the fallen hunters of the past. Portraits of all ages hung all over; their names, dates, and last mission embedded on metal plaques below their frames—a reminder to everyone of their heroic deeds. Some Kyungsoo had known personally like Kim Taeyeon and Choi Siwon. Others, he only knew by face or hearsay. Kyungsoo never really liked passing this hall. He preferred the longer way round to the Guild Master’s office on the other side.

Even at this time, he pinned his stare on the taller hunter rather than staring at the faces of the dead. Pity and hesitation, a rare combination, clouded Yifan’s eyes. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to say it. 

“The others...their bodies never returned from the missions,” Yixing finally supplied. A silence filled the room as they glanced towards the frames nearest the entrance, where the recent ones hung. 

It was a common law, one every hunter silently agreed to always follow. _Bring them home._

Kyungsoo stiffened slightly. His eyes landed instinctively on a certain picture on the right, third row from the bottom, three pictures away from where they stopped. The frame, standard-issued and coated in black, never did justice to the portrait of a face Kyungsoo knew from long ago. A face he once held dear and whose eyes shone so brightly in the night.

_Kim Jongin_

_1x 14x 07xx_ — _11x 20x 22xx_

_Battle of Canyeone against the Black Dragon_

Kyungsoo shook his head, burying back memories of five years ago he'd rather stayed buried. No, it wouldn’t do him any good at all if he started remembering ghosts of the past. They haunted him enough in his dreams.

Kyungsoo steeled himself. “Let’s go see the Master.”

~°~

Master Lee Soo Man had been the leader of the Hunter’s Guild for the past thirty-five years. The tall, grim-faced man had definitely seen his fair share of troubles within the Guild and the occupation itself but the creases on his forehead had never seemed more evident than they were now as he stared at the great map of their continent. Distinct red Xs marked the places around Elyx’s borders and their neighboring kingdom and vassal state, Raghin. Kyungsoo didn’t have to be told that was where the dragon rider had been seen.

Master Lee sighed, his frown growing deeper with every passing second.

Kyungsoo remembered the first time he had met the seasoned hunter almost over a decade ago. It was his first time in the capital and was coincidentally also the beginnings of the Hunting Rites—the annual trials that started the initiation into the Guild. Anyone who survived these got the chance to train to become a hunter. 

An exhibition on the first day was held at the behest of the King as it was the fiftieth year since the Rites began; a showing to the aspiring hunters of what it looked like to be part of the hunt. It served as a display of raw talent, a reminder of how deadly missions could possibly be and a way to weed out the cowards in the hunters-to-be. Master Lee and his four-man cell had entered the Arena and slaughtered the beast (one the shadow mages conjured just for the show Kyungsoo realized later) with such efficiency, ruthlessness, and finesse that Kyungsoo couldn’t help but be amazed and terrified at the sheer skill of the team.

The Master still exuded the same aura now—even if it was riddled with stress. Another sigh echoed throughout the room as he finally turned to Kyungsoo and his comrades and pinned his piercing gaze at them.

They had been waiting in front of his desk for the past fifteen minutes after the Master had handed them the reports wordlessly. Yixing was as stoic as ever, his eyes flying through the pages while Sehun had already begun to doze off behind the papers he held in front of his face. Only Yifan seemed to be the most eager, slightly bouncing on his feet to let off some of that energy of his, the reports already disregarded at his side.

Kyungsoo skimmed the papers, his eyes catching on the words he had already heard from Yixing and Yifan. The story was the same on both paper and hearsay: the rider was fast and so was his dragon but the details on both of them were too vague for Kyungsoo to get anything definitive. As soon as the rider had knocked out the team, he would let loose the captured creature and would be gone before any of the other hunters came to.

One thing didn’t make sense to Kyungsoo though; he still lacked too much information on it. He brushed it off. No, the task was simple. He just had to follow his orders.

“By order of the King, take down this dragon rider.” Master Lee said finally and as his means of greeting. “Wherever he is, whatever the cost, I don’t care. Find him and put a stop to him immediately. We have lost too many good hunters and hunts these past few weeks. Makes for very bad business.”

Though the Guild Master had said that, the other hunters understood the silent command underneath: _don’t let another death happen._

“Yes, sir.” They said in unison.

Master Lee hummed, lacing his fingers together on the desk, looking each one of them in the eye as he said his next few words. “Right now, this is the best team I could form. You’ve all had some experience handling dragons so this shouldn’t be too difficult for you.” They landed on Kyungsoo. "You're leading this team."

Kyungsoo nodded. That, he had also expected. He had the most number of missions that involved dragons in the entire guild, almost as much as the Master himself.

“The last place the rider was sighted was near here, a few towns south of the borders of Raghin.” Master Lee pointed at a big red X-mark on the map. It would take at least three days to get there by horse. “Scour the entire place. Start from the town then comb every forest and mountain there. You will begin tomorrow so take the rest of the day to prepare as much as you can.”

“Master, what about his dragon?” asked Kyungsoo. “There isn't much about it here. Do you happen to know anything else?”

“Small,” said Master Lee. “Maybe a dragonling from what the hunters have seen. Rarely joins the fights unless it's to get the captured beast or the rider out.” Kyungsoo nodded. He made a mental note of that and tucked it away. A speed type dragon was the most likely. They’re going to need some way to subdue it. Sehun was the obvious choice for this with his wind magic.

“That’ll be easy,” smirked Yifan, his energy and excitement now barely contained. A spark lit up in those dark eyes of his. “The young ones are always—”

“Don’t underestimate them.” Master Lee sighed, interrupting the hunter as he stood up to come round the table and lean on the dark wood. "That’s what the other hunters did. This team, I hope, will do a better job.” 

Yifan nodded, pursing his lips as he looked down.

The master huffed, reaching behind him on his desk to pull out a small bottle filled with purple liquid. He tossed it to Kyungsoo who caught it effortlessly with one hand. “Take some dragonsbane,” said the Master. “It might come in handy this time around but I don’t think I have to remind you to use it sparingly.”

Kyungsoo stiffened slightly but once again willed the memories of times long gone to retreat back into his mind. They’d only hinder him. He felt the other three shoot him a glance at the side but he ignored them focusing on the task at hand.

Turning the bottle in his hand, he watched the purple liquid catch the light of the sun as it swirled inside. He had only ever used this potion once. The concoction was extracted from a flower of the same name. It used to grow in some parts of the kingdom until up about a hundred years ago when it died out in the wild. Now the last of its kind could be found in the King’s palace, extremely guarded and cultivated to flourish as much as it could. Legend claims that dragons avoided it like the plague. 

However, the hunters had a more practical use for the rare plant the King gifts to them every few years for keeping the kingdom safe. If brewed right, small doses of the potion could momentarily subdue a dragon but the lasting effects of these tended to vary per the size of the dragon or their resistance to it. Large doses of the potion, on the other hand, would cause the dragon to go in a frenzy and that was something Kyungsoo never wanted to deal with ever again. Most hunters forgo using the delicate potion due to its unpredictability and imperfections but at the end of the day, it was all the hunters had against the wilder and more dangerous dragons they couldn’t handle. Especially for hunters who didn’t have any inherent or applied magic skills to aid them in battle. The gamble was a risk they were willing to take.

For the Master to suggest using it now despite their team being fully capable of using magic, it meant he wanted all aspects covered. Even if the dragonsbane might end up backfiring, that'd still leave the rider without an escape.

“One more thing, do not kill the rider,” said the Master. Yifan began to protest but a look from the veteran shut him up. “You are to capture him instead. That is a direct order from His Majesty himself. He wants this rider alive for reasons he did not disclose. Following that, the palace has granted us use of the King’s personal shadow mages for the mission."

A pin-drop could be heard in the silence that followed, surprise tangible in the air. Even Sehun seemed to wake up with that news, his arched eyebrows shooting up.

"Wait, sir, aside from the dragonsbane, the _phantoms_ are coming with us?" Yifan asked incredulously, unable to finally shut up.

The phantoms were the only known applied magic wielders of shadow magic, a rare element, and were highly prized by the King. When applied magic was already unique in itself as a branch of the known magic—as one would have to _learn_ just how the magic worked on top of the requirement of having the affinity for that certain type _and_ having enough mana capacity to perform—the phantoms were the odd ones out born with both such requirements. 

Shadow magic that could be applied was already difficult enough to perform and cast as it required copious amounts of mana that most who could even have the slightest affinity for such didn’t pursue learning it as it would only inconvenience them in battles. However, the phantoms that the King collected could do high-level spells without even breaking a sweat. They were dubbed such for when these mages appeared, shadows shrouded them as if they themselves could barely control the magic they held within. 

To be born with the magic though—for shadow magic to be _inherent_ , now that was a completely different story. Inherent magic users were always predominantly more powerful and uncommon than those who learned the art of magic. These mages tended to have some sort of connection to the world, to their source of magic like how Kyungsoo was connected to the earth and Sehun to the wind. A skilled inherent mage could perform the work of up to fifteen or more applied users and back during the Hundred Year War were extremely valuable in battles. 

And only two inherent shadow magic wielders emerged in the past several decades in Elyx: High Mage Woo Do Hwan and the King himself.

The King almost never lends out his shadow mages—whether they were inherent or not—so for him to do so now, the threat of this dragon rider meant more than what it seemed. Kyungsoo couldn’t see this as anything else except some blatant way to shut the rider up.

Master Lee nodded with finality to his words. “They will accompany you throughout the mission. You will begin tomorrow. And again, you are to capture this rider and his dragon _alive_.”


	3. Chapter 3

_A familiar figure stood beside Kyungsoo on the edge of the world._

_Flashes of lightning behind them were the only source of light as they faced the dark beast in the raging storm; incandescent purple liquid spilled beneath it was the beginnings of their doom._

_Half their team was down, the other half lost to the dark side of the mountain._

_Nothing could’ve prepared them for this._

_The dragon, its scales as dark as obsidian roared, reared up on its hind legs_ — _wings flaring out like shadows as thunder and lightning boomed once again above them. For the first time in a long time, fear clamped down on every fiber of Kyungsoo’s being._

_Kyungsoo gripped his sword tighter to stop his hands from shaking, glancing again at the hunter beside him. Conflict and something else raged and roiled in those eyes that shone so brightly in the night._

_He didn’t know that would be the last he'd ever see of them. Their eyes met._

_Another flash of lightning lit up their surroundings._

_“Kyungsoo, watch out!”_

_The voice was drowned out by the thunder that followed but he heard it all the same. Kyungsoo turned just in time to see a monstrous tail shoot out from the shadows and rain. Then something pushed him hard to the side, to_ safety _._

_“NO!”_

_The word ripped out from him as he twisted back, reaching out to the falling hand but there was_ nothing _Kyungsoo could do except watch as Kim Jongin was lost to the darkness of the cliff below._

~°~

Kyungsoo stood on the rocky outcrop of the cave, surveying the clearing below, big enough for a dragon to land just as the sun began to creep up above the horizon. The forest spread out before them, reaching for the horizon on either side of this ledge high up the mountain. He knew the forest ended on another cliff drop just beyond what he could see, perfect for this little plan of theirs to trap a rider once they took down his dragon.

Another shiver ran through Kyungsoo—an aftermath of the dream despite him being up for the last hour now. It had left him hollow and cold and more determined than ever to finish this mission without any casualties.

He took in a deep breath. He needed to focus.

A faint wind of Sehun’s making blew through his short-cropped hair, carrying with it the faint scent of rain that greeted them this morning. He glanced again towards the sprawling green that outlined the clearing, slowly stirring as the sun rose, and watched as the shadows and creatures of the night went scurrying back to their nests as if they had an inkling of what was to come. There were still some mysterious creatures of unknown origins that roamed the forests of Elyx. Kyungsoo preferred avoiding them unless absolutely needed. He could do without the unnecessary trouble.

Yixing came up beside him, strapping his sword into place. "It's almost time."

Kyungsoo nodded. The trap below was ready. Sehun and Yifan were already on their way to their positions, each with a shadow mage in tow. The third one the King had insisted they bring waited in the shadows of the cliff below. Three phantoms meant the King wanted this rider rendered completely helpless.

The goal today was to be swift, silent, and effective. The rider wouldn’t know what was coming.

Kyungsoo and his team had taken a few days to stir up a rumor of a dragon that slumbered in the mountain forest. He had the phantoms create illusions—of great shadows that flew above the clouds—while Sehun took care of the wind rages that tended to be the first signs a dragon was upon them. And a huge one at that. Lastly, it was up to him to cause the rumblings of the ground when a beast would land and he did so by making boulders collide against the cliff's side.

Anyone traveling through the forests on this cliff and the rest of it below then would have heard the crashes, felt the wind that stormed through the trees and seen the birds fly up in chaos as if a beast had landed in the midst.

It was enough for the rumors to start spreading like fire and after a fake mission sent out to the Guild courtesy of Sehun disguised as one of the townsmen, Kyungsoo and his team would _conveniently_ happen across the town desperate to get rid of their dragon problem. They didn’t dare use the first town the rider was last seen in but instead chose one near it. After scouring the first one, they had learned exactly just what the other hunters had told them: the dragon rider was a tough one to track.

Which is exactly what the trap was for—to make the rider come to them instead.

“Let’s hope our acting pays off,” said Kyungsoo as he turned to the side to head down the side of the cliff on the far side of the cave. “Or else this would have been for nothing.”

Kyungsoo held out his hand, feeling the familiar flow of magic within him, and a bit of the cliff’s rock jutted out. He stepped on it and waited for Yixing to get on before slowly moving the slab of rock down. It was much easier than scaling down manually.

“Oh?” remarked Yixing with a hint of surprise. “You know, despite your magic just waking up five years ago, you’re controlling it pretty nicely.”

“Shut up.” Kyungsoo felt his control slip momentarily, causing the sliding rock to fall faster for a second before returning to its usual pace. “Stuff like these still take a bit of strain out of me.”

Most inherent users of the known magic realize they have power by age five or six. Other users who were capable of learning applied magic learn by seven or eight. For Kyungsoo to discover his at age sixteen, and to be an inherent one at that, he was terribly way behind. Nevermind that he still needed to have both his hands or his feet to be touching the source of his magic for it to work anyway—a painstaking drawback to his power. He had never bothered before to learn applied magic more than the basic healing of first aid (which was really all he was capable of in that aspect anyway) since he never had the need for it. Thus, he never really learned _control_ which was absolutely vital when someone was born with power.

He was lucky that his magic hadn't ripped him apart when it appeared after years of being dormant, the healers and doctors who met him said. Extremely lucky; a _rare_ _and curious case_. After all, Kyungsoo was the only one who had ever experienced this late of an awakening.

While he was skilled with the hunt, magic was a whole different alley for him, and after four long years of learning the rules of magic, mana consumption, and control, he was finally able to effectively use it in battles.

Or as effectively as one with a drawback to power and only five years of magical experience under their belt had anyway.

There were days Kyungsoo wished his magic had come much sooner. Maybe then he wouldn’t be so haunted by dreams of the past; maybe then he would’ve been able to do something to save the people he'd lost.

“You’re still having nightmares.” It wasn't a question. Kyungsoo shrugged in response, molding the rock back into the earth as a reason to look preoccupied. The healer did not let up. “I thought they stopped.”

Yixing, the early bird he is, had been the only one that morning to see Kyungsoo wake with a start. He didn’t say anything when Kyungsoo rushed his way outside of the cave they slept in, face pale and lips drained of blood. Yixing usually minded his own business, but he knew this mission hit closer to home for Kyungsoo than he wanted it to.

Kyungsoo sighed, wiping the light sweat off his forehead before heading into position. “They never did. I just stopped telling you about them.”

“Soo.”

Kyungsoo could hear the frown in Yixing’s voice. It wasn’t like there was anything he could do about it. These were his issues to deal with, his ghosts to fight. Bothering his friend with this burden, no, Kyungsoo could never bring himself to do it.

“You weren’t the only one who lost a friend, Soo.” Yixing said as he caught up. “I don’t want you thinking you can’t talk to us. Even Yifan would willingly sit his ugly ass down for you.”

That drew a wry smile out of him, but it didn’t touch his eyes. “I’ll think about it. Let’s deal with this rider first.”

The two hunters reached the edge of the clearing. From where they stood, they could see everything: the tall sheer cliff to their left and the river that snaked through the forest to their right.

Kyungsoo waited. 

A few minutes passed and then a large dark figure appeared in the clearing as if a blanket had been slowly unraveled to reveal it. The beast huffed, causing the last of the night creatures to scatter into the forest. The phantoms were at work.

The beast the phantoms conjured up was nowhere as large as other dragons Kyungsoo had encountered before, but it would do the trick. Its raven-colored scales glistened in the morning light, lines of red crisscrossing in unorthodox patterns stood stark on the black. Scars, Kyungsoo realized upon a closer look. They ranged from the tips of its clubbed tail to the top of its one-horned head, varying in thickness and length. The dragon sniffed the air, hesitant as it extended one claw out of the shadow at its feet.

“It looks incredibly real,” whistled Yixing as his eyes took in the details of the illusion. “No wonder these mages were taken in by the King himself.”

Kyungsoo had to admit it looked realistic The way the beast moved, the way it huffed, and the way the great wings at its back opened hesitantly to catch the morning light—as if it had stretched its wings for the first time in a long while—almost mimicked that of the dragons he had seen before. They didn’t have the time to appreciate such intricacies though. The act had already begun as soon as the beast was revealed.

“Head to position,” Kyungsoo ordered.

It took them little to no work to chain it to the ground. The beast still seemed disoriented as Kyungsoo circled to one side and Yixing to its other, as if it didn’t know where it was or what was going on. Kyungsoo had to give the phantoms props again for such detail in their work. Within a few moments, they had fully secured the beast who didn’t even try to fight back despite the opportunity to do so, managing to let out one roar before it succumbed to its chains.

Yixing came up beside him, studying the dragon once again. It spanned about one half of the entire length of the clearing, smaller than what Kyungsoo had made the townspeople believe with the illusions but it didn’t matter. It was still large enough for attention. Even shadow magic had its limits despite its power.

Yixing nudged the dragon’s limb with his foot. The beast grunted in response, its snout puffing on the grass as it strained against its restraints. It was futile. Kyungsoo and Yixing had already bolted it to the ground.

“I feel like I’ve seen this type before,” said Yixing. Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow in response, waiting for more. “Doesn’t this remind you of those dragons they let out during the Hunting Rites to battle with the trainees?”

Kyungsoo had never really seen the Hunting Rites, not for the last few years. He had kept himself busy with missions from the Guild all year round so he had been rarely in the city long enough to join the annual celebrations and trials. He remembered the Master’s exhibition, a special case back then, but other than that, all other battles had faded from his mind. 

Upon closer inspection at the beast’s dark snout, slitted yellow eyes watching his every move, Kyungsoo once again had to commend the phantom’s work on the illusion. 

“You’re right,” Kyungsoo said. The scars that ran through the obsidian scales of the beast stood out, angry and red as if a thousand sword slashes had met it. He raised his hand as if to touch, but thought better against it. “Maybe the phantoms’ idea of dragons only come from the captive beasts they see every year. The King doesn’t exactly let them out on the field that often.”

From the amount of detail they had placed into this illusion, Kyungsoo knew it’d take all three of them to maintain this kind of magic, especially since the dragon rider was yet to happen upon them.

“No, Soo, I think—”

Kyungsoo stilled then. He held up a hand then to silence the healer. Raising a finger to his lips, he gestured for Yixing to wait—to _listen_.

The forest was too quiet now as if holding its collective breath.

Kyungsoo waited for a moment, scanning the entire length of the forest before them.

A wind blew throughout the clearing, whistling fast through the trees—a two-tone beat. Sehun’s signal came fast but the rider was already here.

The first blow came out of nowhere.

Kyungsoo crumpled to his knees, the back of his head erupting in a flash of pain. Yixing fell next, downed in seconds by a figure clad in black, a mask over their face. It was definitely a man that greeted them, his gleaming golden sword out and ready. The damn bastard must've used the pommel. 

“Shit.” 

Beside him, Yixing swore. By the time Kyungsoo looked up, the dragon’s chains were off.

The rider was fast, faster than any beast or human Kyungsoo had ever encountered. And strong. He knew just where to hit to break the chains that held the dragon down. The rider bent down on one knee, leveling his stare with the beast, and a few seconds of silence passed between them.

Kyungsoo didn’t even have time to wonder what was going on as in the next second, he watched with growing horror as the dragon reared back on its hind legs, spreading out its wings.

“Kyungsoo!”

He slammed his fist to the ground. Two walls of rock rose up on either side of the rider. With his other fist, he clenched it, willing the earth to morph into a fist to trap the rider.

In another split second, the rider was gone, his rocks crashing on thin air.

Kyungsoo scrambled to his feet, drawing out his sword.

But as if the chained dragon had finally come to its senses, it got up and roared—the sound far too loud and _real_ for it to be a mere illusion.

Yixing swore to high heaven. “Shadow-step,” said the hunter. “That’s the only explanation. The phantoms brought a real one here!”

Kyungsoo had only seen and experienced shadow-stepping once before. It was a rare branch of applied shadow magic, meaning it could be learned. Their instructors during their training barely glossed over the topic because of two reasons: rare number of shadow mages and the high amount of mana consumption the move would simply take. Shadow-stepping usage was uncommon and was mostly reserved for the more gravely injured warriors in a war who might not survive the long trip back home. Hunters didn’t have this privilege unless the Guild Master himself requested it of the King. 

It had taken two shadow mages just to transport everyone back to the capital during the Battle of Canyeone, but even that had greatly drained the mages.

That was five years ago.

“Shit.”

Seeing the live dragon now, Kyungsoo realized he had grossly miscalculated the phantoms’ power and growth. Yixing was right. The phantoms had not created a dragon illusion in the image of the captured beasts. They had brought a real one instead. 

This, Kyungsoo again had to admit, was a more efficient way of using their magic.

But this was not part of the plan. The consequences of bringing a dragon who had once again tasted the air of freedom to a fight just stacked the odds tremendously against them.

One dragon Kyungsoo could deal with but two and a dragon rider on top of the mix? That was just a disaster waiting to happen.

Another roar sounded in the distance, causing the rider to look up. It came from where Sehun and Yifan were positioned.

“Soo,” whispered Yixing, bringing him back to the here and now as the roar faded. “What’s our next move?”

“You take care of the dragon.” Kyungsoo took a deep breath, calming his raging nerves. He locked on the figure covered from head to foot. “I’ll take care of the rider.”

As if the person of interest had heard him, he turned towards Kyungsoo. Something flashed in his eyes that shone beneath the mask but it was gone so fast Kyungsoo thought he had imagined it. 

A thud landed beside him. Kyungsoo glanced sideways to see Yifan panting as he studied the situation in the clearing.

“Well, shit,” was all the other hunter said.

“Where’s Sehun?” Kyungsoo didn’t dare take his eyes off the dragon or the rider, both parties gauging the situation. They needed all hands on deck if they were to deal with the rider and the captured beast together.

“Held up by the white dragon,” bit out Yifan. “She wouldn’t let any of us come to you. It’s taking both him and the phantom just to handle her.”

Kyungsoo frowned but stilled his rising unease. No, this wasn’t the time for panic. They had a mission to finish.

A beat passed.

Then the rider turned, disappearing into the woods.

“Yifan, Yixing—I'll leave this to you.” 

Kyungsoo didn’t wait for a reply. He ran, as fast as his feet could carry him, chasing after the rider. The scarred dragon lashed out its tail to intercept him but he easily jumped over the beast’s snout with the help of his magic. He didn’t have the time to play with it.

It took quick work for Kyungsoo to find the rider. He already had a guess where he was headed—to the roar that sounded a while ago—however, Kyungsoo had to pinpoint just where exactly the rider was in this godsdamn forest.

Kyungsoo might not be the best wielder of magic there is, but a certain skill had made itself known in the five years since his magic came to him. On the ground, Kyungsoo was the king. 

He bent down and closed his eyes as he felt the magic that flowed beneath the earth. The magic that he saw in his head were golden veins of life that painted a picture of the world beyond him. Trees, animals, rivers—anything that touched the ground within a hundred meters, Kyungsoo could see them all. He hadn’t told anyone about this but this had definitely helped him improve as a hunter as well.

A warm light in the golden world he saw caught his attention, moving faster than the rest. There, across the river past a great tree and boulder, was the rider.

Kyungsoo ran and ran, easily jumping over the river, slipping and sliding over the gnarled roots above the ground.

The thing about the forests in Elyx was that one would never know what they’d find in them. Abundant with natural mana, curious flora and fauna amassed these lands, and forests were where the wild things loved to play. Other than that, the geography and the landscape themselves were also something you had to watch out for. You could come in one end and find yourself going out the same way, especially if you didn’t have a mage adept with navigation magic which was another acquired type. You could be running on flat ground only for the earth to suddenly cut off from right beneath you, plunging into cliffs with rivers that snaked in between. It was a beautiful and dangerous land.

However, Kyungsoo’s affinity for the earth told him where to go and exactly what to avoid. It helped him guide his fellow hunters to the right spots during hunts.

Kyungsoo veered right, passing the boulder he had seen on the mini-map his magic had painted him.

The rider was in sight. He raised his hand, willing the earth to move beneath him, and raised a solid wall about fifteen feet tall and a hundred meters wide just before the escaping rider. Kyungsoo then began pulling the wall towards him, causing trees to topple over and burrowing animals to scatter, but the barrier worked. The rider started moving back towards him. The consecutive moves took a toll on his mana, but it’d do. He had cornered the rider enough to prevent escape.

Kyungsoo grinned. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, dragon rider.”

From this distance, Kyungsoo could see the intricacies embedded on the obsidian mask that covered half the rider’s face and the hazel brown eyes that shone. His hair stuck out from the top, windblown and tousled, and sensual lips and a sharp jawline peeked out from beneath the mask.

The rider was silent, adjusting his sword as he moved in a slow circle. There was a stiffness there, some kind of hesitation or unsureness in his movement. It was minuscule but Kyungsoo had caught it. Did the rider not intend to meet him at full power?

Kyungsoo frowned but decided he’d rather not care. Any kind of distraught from the enemy was beneficial to him and his kingdom. He had to complete the mission.

He mirrored the rider's movements. Both waited for the other to strike first, the air between them heavy and as tight as a bow.

Kyungsoo knew that some few hundred meters to their left was another cliff that shot down to more of the forest below. He had particularly chosen this ledge because of the terrain and the difficulty to get up and down unless you had an affinity for earth magic—which he knew the rider definitely didn't have. A steep incline and sheer drop would be impossible even with the speed of this rider. Take down the dragon and the rider would have nowhere to go. 

He attacked first, aiming for the rider’s open left side.

The rider dodged, parrying the next blow easily as he danced nimbly out of reach. Kyungsoo struck again with his sword in a series of jabs and swings, moving with the rider to get him into a position that would make it easier for Kyungsoo to disarm him. He wouldn’t let the other get away so easily this time. He had a mission to fulfill and a duty to bring justice to those who had fallen by this sword.

The rider blocked the blows, answering his strikes with as much force. As expected, he could easily keep up with Kyungsoo’s own sword skill.

Kyungsoo grinned. It had been a while since he had met another swordsman who hadn’t immediately surrendered after a series of blows from him but instead matched every one of his. A delighted thrill ran through him as he began slowly pushing the rider in the direction of the clearing once more.

However, something was strange as their fight went on. Not once did the rider fight back, choosing to be on the defensive instead. Then again, if he even somehow managed to disarm Kyungsoo, there would still be no escape once he used his magic. 

“That hurt, you know,” said Kyungsoo as he slashed again. “Where was all that fervor from earlier when you nearly bashed our heads in, rider? Is this the same courtesy you showed the hunters you've killed?” 

Their eyes met and Kyungsoo swore something faltered in the dark hazel depths of them before turning into disbelief. The rider didn’t answer him again but instead struck back at Kyungsoo hard enough for him to back off.

Kyungsoo gritted his teeth. He had to end it quickly if he wanted to get back to his team who was taking on the summoned dragon.

A blast sounded behind them, and Kyungsoo's and the rider’s attention turned towards the source. Tendrils of smoke and obsidian trailed towards the sky, an ominous pattern lurking in the shadows that painted it. What was going on? 

The rider had stumbled when the explosion happened.

Kyungsoo took his chance and his sword arced widely in a graceful half-moon. Even halfway falling backwards, the rider had still managed to mostly avoid it.

His sword grazed the edge of the rider’s mask.

Two things happened in the next split-second: one, the black dragon roared behind them, leveling the forest with the sheer intensity of it, and two, the mask fell.

Kyungsoo stilled, his world stopping before turning completely upside down.

A second passed. Two.

Kyungsoo’s world slowed to a near stop then began again for there stood Kim Jongin as clear as day.

“Impossible.”

_Alive._

Kyungsoo stumbled forward, moving for a passing moment towards the rider. He could hear nothing save the loud ringing in his ears as a thousand emotions crashed into him, momentarily staggering him. No, this was nothing but a trick of his imagination, a brief tug on the thin line by which his sanity was desperately clinging to. He had been dreaming too much lately of the ghosts of the past that they had finally manifested themselves in real life. The Jongin he knew had died on those cliffs all those years ago. The person who stood before him wasn’t his friend.

_Alive._

Kyungsoo’s eyes snagged on the tiny scar on his cheek. The same one Jongin had all those years ago. He got it on their first mission as hunters. Kyungsoo had laughed at him, saying just how on earth could Jongin have gotten scarred by reaching branches.

 _Alive._

That was the only word that beat through his heart, that rang in his ears. The only word that mattered.

_Kim Jongin was alive._

“Are you really—”

Another explosion sounded behind Kyungsoo, this time louder and nastier than the earlier ones.

Kyungsoo turned and found that the forest was in ruins behind them; the captured beast flew, destroying anything it could reach with its clubbed tail. It had gone berserk, thrashing wildly as it tried to fly. However, something was off. Its eyes glowed purple and it breathed heavily as if it was too laborious for a creature who commanded the air. The dragon roared again, lashing out with its tail as fire dripped from its mouth. An obsidian arrow on its shoulder leaked ominous tendrils of shadows as the beast tried to claw at it.

Kyungsoo swore. _Dragonsbane_.

The phantom must have shot his arrow full of the dosage despite knowing the dire consequences of it. As if things couldn’t get any better. 

“What have you done?” Jongin’s voice shook. 

Those were the first words the rider had said since they met again. If the scar hadn’t already confirmed it, his voice would most definitely have. It was the same voice dipped in honey and velvet that kept Kyungsoo up at night, that sang such sweet lullabies to lure him to sleep.

“What do you mean?” Kyungsoo turned back. Horror and rage-filled those hazel eyes of his. He had never seen such anger on Jongin before even when he was still alive. 

" _What have you done?_ ”

But the rider was already running towards the thrashing beast, their battle and reunion completely forgotten. The dragon crashed down into the trees, clearing out a path on the forest floor. It seemed...no, it was definitely heading somewhere. 

Movement overhead caught Kyungsoo's attention. The other dragon, a beauty of pearl white that glinted in the sun, roared loudly from the skies. With the direction they were running towards, they should be nearing the second ledge that dropped into more of the forest below.

The beast got up and began flying once more, its eyes locked on the other, not caring that it was this close to falling down that half a thousand-mile drop.

The dragon, smaller than the dark berserker, roared at them as it came hurtling through the sky. A female, Kyungsoo realized as the distance between them lessened and he saw her more clearly. Her eyes locked on her rider before glancing at Kyungsoo and then at the dragon that was headed her way. She growled, jaw snapping open as a fire grew in it.

“Stop! STOP!” Jongin yelled. “Get out of there!”

Slices of wind shot up in the distance above the trees, aiming for the white dragon—Oh Sehun with his infamous razor wind scythes. She dodged them gracefully in the air, her eyes still trained on the battle before her. The scythes hit the other instead.

A dark arrow went shooting towards the sky, barely missing the white beast. It was a messy mark, shot out of desperation. Kyungsoo turned and found one of the phantoms aiming at the dark dragon once more, frustration and fear limned every line of his body as he pulled back his bow, a gigantic object clearly made out of shadows. Even the arrow itself was as sharp and long as a sword. However, it was the tip that held Kyungsoo’s attention: purple liquid that wafted out smoke coated every inch of it.

Weapons crafted from pure magic needed more control and precision. With the missed shots, the phantom clearly did not have control over his power. This must have been his first battle with a dragon and for him to deal with two right out, it must have been too much for the phantom after simply lazing his days away in the palace.

Kyungsoo tsked. He didn’t need cowards on this team. “What did you do?” He shouted as he passed, running after the rider. “Where are Yixing and Yifan?”

“Mr. Yifan got hit by the tail and was blown away. Mr. Yixing rushed to where he is and is probably healing him now.” The phantom turned to Kyungsoo, trembling. His shadow weapons shuddered with him. “I-I didn’t know the shadow beast would turn into this. The other shadow mages gave me the dragonsbane. T-they told me this could stop the dragons!”

Kyungsoo frowned as he heard this. The other phantoms were clearly more experienced on the battlefield than this one. Surely even they would know the side effects and how unpredictable the dosages were.

A ball of blue fire shot past them, lighting up the forest. The phantom shook more, raising his bow and arrow again and shot it out again, crying in fear.

Kyungsoo turned to see that this time, it had found its mark on the dark dragon’s hindleg. A blue fireball hit it square in the chest, causing it to lose altitude. With a roar, the dragon went crashing down to the trees again.

“If you can’t control your magic then don’t use it!” 

Kyungsoo didn’t know what good it would do to yell at the phantom but he had to do something. The dragonsbane had already aggravated the situation enough beyond the point of control. He cursed. Where were the others? A gnawing feeling ate at his gut but he pushed it down. He had to get to the rider.

However, the dark dragon didn’t go down without letting out an attack of its own. As it fell, it made sure to sweep its tail around, knocking down everything in its path. Anything that got hit was collateral damage at this point.

“Ryujin! Get out of there! Retreat!”

Kyungsoo ran in the direction of the voice. Was the rider trying to getaway?

With a flick of his magic, Kyungsoo launched himself off the ground, flying up and over the fallen trees and spreading fire that was evidence of the destruction of the beast. Whatever semblance of peace the forest once had was now gone. 

With a beat of wings, the white dragon swept through the trees. The phantoms that popped out in the shadows of the forest with their arrows and magic made it impossible for her to land—impossible for her to reach her rider. Sehun with his wind scythes were just as annoying.

Kyungsoo broke through the underbrush and finally caught up with the rider. They were by the ledge this time, the running and fighting somehow dragging it over towards the edge of the sheer cliff.

“Jongin!”

The rider didn’t respond as he scanned the skies again for his dragon. As if in answer to his searching gaze, the white dragon shot through the trees then—

A roar boomed through the forest. This time the larger dragon shot up and clamped its jaws around the smaller body and arm as she barely twisted to dodge a bite to the neck. He was fast, too fast and brutal for her to completely evade. She struggled but any more movement would only cause the fangs to sink deeper, penetrating her scales. 

"No—" Jongin gasped. He unsheathed his sword, the pristine white blade gleaming.

The black dragon thrashed again as the effect of the dragonsbane messed with its mind. Foam on its mouth dripped with vigor and the manic look in its eyes increased tenfold as yet another shadow arrow hit its mark. It had three now and all three had been dipped in the potion.

Just when it was about to tear off Ryujin's arm, Sehun flew up above the trees, wind scythes at the ready.

Three lashes to its face and he had its attention. The grip on the white dragon's torso eased, and with a new annoyance that emerged out of nowhere, the dark dragon threw Ryujin over the ledge with a roar not before snapping the arm it had in its jaw. 

" _Ryujin!_ " But it was too late. With a cry, the smaller dragon disappeared beneath the thick layer of clouds covering the forest below.

Jongin moved to jump as well but Kyungsoo took his chance to strike. Rider or not, he wouldn't let Jongin go so easily. Blow after blow, they fought, exchanging strikes again in a deadly dance.

"Jongin," Kyungsoo bit out between the clanging on their swords. "Jongin, is that really you?"

The next strike slightly faltered but the rider immediately recovered, hitting back at Kyungsoo with twice as much strength. He managed to push the hunter back a few steps.

His hazel eyes clouded with an unknown emotion under his anger. "Get out of my way."

"No."

They jumped back, wary of the cliff beside them. In the next second, a swift harsh wind raged above them, concentrating on a singular point in the sky. The air crackled with mana, heavy and thick and rampant. It swirled, turning into a cyclone of imminent power. It grew in size and length. Sehun held out his hands above him, straining to control the power. Kyungsoo and Jongin hesitated for a moment, watching the inherent mage strain to keep the cyclone of wind above them afloat.

Only Kyungsoo knew the limits of Sehun. This cyclone was beyond him. The kid was being impatient and desperate. He wanted to finish everything with this last critical strike.

As if to prove that, Sehun dropped his hands and with it, the turmoil of wind as well. The winds crashed onto the dark dragon, flattening him to the ground. It was strong enough that plants and animals within the area of effect were blasted away.

Kyungsoo had just about enough time to put up a solid wall of rock between him—and to an extent, Jongin—and the onslaught of wind.

The captured beast crashed towards them, separating Jongin and Kyungsoo from the rest of the people on the cliff, their backs to nothing but open air. The earth on his wall began to fissure and crack from the strength of the wind but still, Kyungsoo held on. 

The dragon had already begun to lose all reason and it could no longer tell apart friend from foe. It would attack anything and everything that moved. He was glad Sehun had somehow knocked it out but this state was only temporary. It was only a matter of time before the beast woke up once again. 

He didn’t know when it would wake up again and there was no white dragon that would save them now. Even Sehun himself was out of commission now—the mage falling from the trees, his power exhausted.

Jongin stood.

“Stay where you are,” Kyungsoo said as he lowered the rock when the wind had finally dissipated. 

Kyungsoo would have laughed at just how much the situation had gone awry if it didn’t remind him so much of the hell five years ago. Was it fate that it was still Kim Jongin by his side even on the edge of the cliff?

Only this time, they were on opposite sides. If they somehow managed to defeat the raging beast, Kyungsoo had the option of walking out of this free. Jongin did not.

From the trees that weren’t blown off, he saw the phantoms perch on the branches, shadow arrows drawn—as large as their magic would allow—at the ready. Though they were several meters away from the pair, Kyungsoo knew the arrows would be lethal. And it looked like the phantoms were ready to kill.

This wasn’t part of the plan.

He glanced around, searching for a glimpse of either Yixing and Yifan. He hadn’t seen them since he had taken off from that clearing. Kyungsoo didn’t even know if they were alive after the chaos that rained down on them. He hoped they had at least had the sense to escape after seeing the captured beast become hectic.

No, he believed they were alive.

He glanced at Jongin who was looking over to where the other dragon had fallen, worry amidst wrath imminent in those hazel eyes of his.

A chance, that's what this was. The rider was distracted, trapped. Capturing him now would end their mission. It might also help him understand just how they ended up in this situation; him, a hunter, and Jongin, a dragon rider.

“Jongin—”

“Dragon rider,” a voice boomed above the rest, interrupting Kyungsoo. It was the phantom perched on a tree in the middle. He was a man of medium build, in his late twenties with a cruel glint that showed in his eyes. Kyungsoo hadn’t liked the looks of this man as soon as he met him. The phantom didn’t have his weapon out but that didn't make him any less of a danger. Kyungsoo recognized him to be the leader of the trio that came with their team but couldn’t remember his name for the life of him. "Surrender now and we might spare your life."

 _Spare?_ Wasn't this mission just to capture him?

Jongin's expression hardened at the words.

“Don’t make me repeat it.”

The rider stood his ground, much like the time all those years ago. A knot formed in Kyungsoo's gut at Jongin’s next word. “I would rather die."

The phantom cocked his head, grinning. "That can be arranged."

In the next second, a barrage of shadow arrows came flying across space. Kyungsoo cursed but before he could even think about it, he was tackling Jongin to the ground hard.

_Idiot. Completely reckless idiot!_

Kyungsoo didn’t know who he was calling an idiot but they were too close to the edge now, barely a hair's width from it—nothing but open air between them and the ground below. He couldn't focus on anything else except keeping them from toppling over. Damn all the consequences to hell.

The phantoms struck.

He barely managed to bring up a wall of hard earth between the mages and their shadow arrows, but he still wasn't nearly fast enough. A few arrows had passed through, shattering cleanly through the earth and hitting it hard, the ground spider-webbing before them.

Kyungsoo quickly glanced over to Jongin, seeing that he was fine—

A growl sounded from behind the wall— a creature slowly waking—startled them. 

Jongin cursed and pushed Kyungsoo off of him, sword at the ready as a sharp claw fractured the wall, a dark head rising over the edge, piercing yellow eyes rolling manically, and foam dripping down the scarred jaw.

The dragon’s jaw swung open, its large golden eyes locking on the rider, fire smoldering at the pit of its scaled belly. It huffed, the warm exhale scorching, as if laughing gleefully at their predicament.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened as he once again acted before thinking. Truly, he was the idiot here. 

He grabbed Jongin, and then they were free-falling through the air. He didn’t think about anything else, save for the fact that they had to get out of range fast, and away from the fiery death that awaited them. 

It was around a hundred-foot drop, but with the vegetation at the bottom and the cliff rock behind them, Kyungsoo just might be able to break their fall even a little with his earth magic. Or at least he hoped.

He just about reached out to touch the cliffs—cursing his power drawback to be connected to the source—when Jongin locked an arm around his waist, pulling him flush against the rider as another wave of shadow arrows came flying from up above. Jongin didn’t glance at him, his eyes focused on the bank of cloud that covered the forest below.

Kyungsoo paled as the barrage came down upon them.

A sharp whistle followed and was answered by a deafening roar.

Just as the first arrow came within grasping distance, white wings enveloped them as clawed hands reached up from beneath the clouds.

Ryujin appeared, every inch of her body lined with rage and defiance. With a swish, she grasped the falling rider and hunter in her claws and winked out of existence in brilliant white light.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Kyungsoo?"_

_"Yeah?" He turned from the rolling clouds to face the young boy about his age who lay beside him, piercing yet beautiful hazel eyes boring deep into his soul._

_There they were, laying under an evodia tree on a field outside the capital, under right above a small hill overlooking a vast field of flowers. The evodia tree above them cast shadows across their face as poppies, dandelions, and daisies of all kinds danced in the breeze, the late touches of spring and a hint of summer filling the wind around them. There was nothing Kyungsoo loved more than to kick back and relax and watch the clouds roll by as he savored every precious second of his day off._

_It had been five years since that fateful night in the forest with the slave traders. All the children who were saved had chosen to follow the hunters back to the capital and that had been where their new life began._

_However the boy beside him looked like something was eating at him, unasked questions on every gnaw on his lip, on every wrinkle of his brow. Jongin turned towards the sky once more, choosing not to say it._

_“What is it?” Kyungsoo finally asked when his curiosity got the better of him._

_"Did you ever…” a long pause. “Did you ever think this was where’d you’d end up?”_

_Kyungsoo pressed his lips together and mimicked Jongin, turning his face towards the endless blue above them that was only interrupted by the light smattering of clouds. Why the sudden question?_

_“Honestly? No.” It was the truth. He had never thought past tomorrow, only surviving with what he could that day. “It’s a miracle that I lived this long.”_

_Jongin’s eyes faltered when they flashed back to him, but Kyungsoo could tell there was something more_ — _an answer he sought for. “Was this something you wanted to do, Soo? This hunting business?”_

_Kyungsoo closed his eyes, enjoying the slight breeze that blew through the field. “Not at first, no. But there are certain benefits to this job that you can’t find anywhere else. Not only do we finally have some semblance of life here in the capital, Jongin, but we can also repay everything Taeyeon, Siwon and Yoona did for us.”_

_“But...is it necessary to_ kill _the beasts we come across?”_

_If only Kyungsoo had understood the meaning behind that. Instead, his sixteen year old self who had garnered a sense of stability after years of running through streets, living on wits itself, answered without any hesitation or a shadow of a doubt._

_“We are saviors, Jongin. Look at the thousands of lives we save by getting rid of the beasts that cause them so much burden.”_

~°~

Kyungsoo woke to the smell of something savory permeating the air. Yixing must’ve woken up early to make breakfast for their team. He rolled over on the soft cot—wait, _cot_?

Kyungsoo shot up out of the bed, eyes flying to take in his surroundings. The rough gray stone walls of the cave no longer greeted him. Instead, it was the white canvas of a low ceilinged tent that did. It was fairly ordinary inside with just the bed he was on, and a table to its right side. A glass, pitcher of water and a dish with a towel sat on top of it. Kyungsoo’s head throbbed. He shouldn’t have moved so quickly.

The last thing he remembered was throwing himself at Jongin when that dark dragon spat out fire and a barrage of arrows came flying. After that, nothing.

One thing was certain though. Jongin. He was _alive._

Five years and the damn bastard was alive. No word. No letter. No nothing. 

But more than that, he was the dragon rider that had been tormenting the Guild and sacking their missions.

Kyungsoo sighed, staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t know what to make of this situation. He didn’t even know where to begin.

Kyungsoo ran his hand through his hair only for him to find out he was chained. Silver manacles encircled his wrist, an eight-pointed star engraved on each of them. A short chain linked the two, giving him enough leeway to move but not enough to attack. The chain joined at the middle to a longer one that was attached to the pole of the tent deeply rooted to the ground. 

Big mistake. This was nothing but a piece of cake for him. He'd be out of here before whoever had captured him knew it.

Kyungsoo turned to his side, feet hitting the floor. He centered all his magic, to try and form something out of the earth to cut his chains with, but nothing. Kyungsoo couldn’t feel _any_ of his magic flowing. He studied his hands again, noticing the faint light that glowed out of the eight-point star on the manacle. He held out his hand, brows furrowing in concentration as he tried to even get a pebble to move but it was futile.

No rush of power. It was as if the magic that ran through him stopped. No, _blocked_ was more what it felt like.

Footsteps sounded outside, their shadows painting figures on the canvas wall of the tent as the light of the torch danced in the night.

“He’s a _hunter_ ?” A shadow hissed beyond the flaps of the tent. Kyungsoo scrambled back on the bed, pulling the thin blanket over his face as he strained his ears to hear more. “Just what were you _thinking,_ Kai?”

A quieter response answered, too soft for Kyungsoo to make out any words.

Another harsh string of words followed in a tongue he was not familiar with. Reverting back to the common tongue, the speaker finished, “Fine but he’s your problem now. Her Majesty will have to hear about this.”

A harsh beat of wings sounded before it was silent once again.

Kyungsoo waited, holding his breath. It was a while before he made a move again. Once he deemed the coast to be clear, he sat up and willed his magic to come forth once more to do his bidding. Nothing. His magic still refused to answer his call.

He brought the chain closer to his face, checking for some kind of weak link. Gripping each end, Kyungsoo pulled, the muscles on his arms bulging as he pulled the tough steel, hoping that whoever had put him in these chains had somehow made a mistake when forging it.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 

A quiet voice that dripped honey had Kyungsoo whipping his head fast in the direction it came from. His eyes met with familiar hazel ones that once used to hold so much warmth but were now guarded and cold. Jongin kept his distance, choosing to stay by the entrance as he regarded Kyungsoo caught in his haste to escape. He was still in the same riding leathers that Kyungsoo had seen him in so he deduced that maybe not that long had passed since the battle in the mountain.

“The chains have been enchanted to explode if anyone so much as even attempts to get out of them. It’s futile.” The rider added nonchalantly.

Though he knew Jongin was alive, seeing him standing before him in the tent still knocked the breath right out of Kyungsoo. He didn't even care that the other had been so silent he didn't even notice the opening of the tent flaps. So many questions scrambled to rip themselves out of him— _How are you alive? Where were you all this time? Why didn't you say anything?_

Instead, Kyungsoo chose silence. With the way things were at the moment, he couldn't just ask them so blatantly.

It already took every ounce of his willpower to stay rooted to the bed, to not rush towards the man before him—to not _feel_ the blood that most definitely ran through those veins—to know he was alive. One thing ultimately kept him from running towards Jongin apart from common sense: the riding leathers as dark as the night he lost him.

Jongin’s sword gleamed at his side; its pommel carved into a golden rose while the grip had a language unknown to Kyungsoo engraved onto it. Kyungsoo guessed Jongin only ever strapped it on his back when he knew he would be flying.

The Jongin that stood before him now was more mature, more certain about himself than he was when he was sixteen. There was an air around him—it showed in the way he held himself, as if he was finally grounded. Kyungsoo could still remember the Jongin in the months leading to his “death". The conflict and rage and confusion that seemed to have clouded the rider's thoughts were finally gone and now all Kyungsoo could see was the calm in those eyes, as if Jongin finally understood who he was.

This was not the boy he had lost all those years ago.

And yet, those piercing eyes were the same, studying Kyungsoo from across the small space.

“So is this how things are now, huh?” asked Kyungsoo, scoffing. “Are you going to kill me, Jongin, like you did those hunters?”

The case remained the same. Even if they had a past, their present and the path they walked on now was different. This rider was responsible for all the failed hunts and maybe to an extent, the murders that came along with it. 

Kyungsoo and Jongin now stood on opposite sides, a clear definite line in between.

Jongin kept a neutral face but a tiny crease appeared between his brows. “I did not kill them.”

Kyungsoo cocked his head, debating. There was a certainty to his tone but he still could not ignore the circumstances of the situation and that Jongin was still the prime suspect of those cases. 

“How am I supposed to believe you? Up until just recently, I had thought you were dead.”

Jongin stayed quiet, an unreadable emotion passing for a moment in his hazel eyes before turning completely cold and devoid of human emotion. The space and tension between them was thick enough to cut as they stared each other down but Kyungsoo refused to budge. To hell he would lose this stare down. 

It was Jongin who moved first, two strides taking him across the tent in an instant to stand before Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo scrambled up with as much dignity as he could for someone who was chained, matching Jongin’s pace across from him as if they were in that clearing again. As soon as he moved his right foot, blinding pain shot up his leg. That’s when he finally realized that the right side of his pants was ripped up to mid thigh, showcasing neatly wrapped bandages beneath. 

Kyungsoo gritted his teeth and ignored the pain, choosing to meet that cold indifferent stare of Jongin’s with his own. If this was where it would end, he would sure as hell do it standing, injured or not. 

Jongin was still as tall as Kyungsoo remembered, probably even taller now, and in the small space of the tent, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but look up into that sun-kissed face. A part of him wanted to smack the other for growing up so much but he refrained from doing so.

“And if I wanted you dead, I would have left that arrow in your leg," Jongin simply said.

Kyungsoo slightly faltered at that but he held his resolve. “Then what’s the meaning of this? Where am I?”

Jongin didn’t answer, instead changing the topic as he turned his gaze to Kyungsoo’s stance. He had subtly shifted his weight to his left but it didn’t go unnoticed by the rider. “I see you can stand quite well already but I recommend laying back down and resting some more.”

“No thanks.”

Jongin’s eyebrow twitched. Kyungsoo didn’t know anything about the person before him anymore and...he didn’t quite like it.

The rider sighed before turning to pick up the pitcher and pouring a glass. He held out the water. “Don’t blame me then when it starts hurting. Those shadow arrows were incredibly nasty and you still haven’t fully healed.”

Kyungsoo eyed the glass before looking back up at Jongin. He raised an eyebrow in response. Jongin really didn’t think he would drink something offered by an enemy, childhood friend or no, that easily, did he?

Jongin huffed before raising the glass to his lips and downing the glass in one shot. “Happy?” 

He poured another glass and held it out again.

This time, Kyungsoo took the glass hesitantly. He was at a loss for words. There had never been such tension and silence with Jongin before. Then again, he had never thought he would ever be in a situation like this.

The rider stepped back to leave.

“Jongin, answer me.” He clutched that glass of water. “Why am I here?” _Why am I still alive?_

The taller paused for a moment, his head slightly turned towards him. For a moment, Kyungsoo thought he wouldn’t answer.

“Think of this as my debt paid to you for saving my life.”

It was a few hours before he caught sight of Jongin again.

He didn’t dare catch more than those few hours of sleep in this unknown place. Like Jongin had said, it was futile to escape. When Kyungsoo tried pulling the chain from the pole on the ground, white light flared at the strain and zapped him harshly. The force blasted him back on the bed, leaving him breathless and his blood zinging. Kyungsoo cursed but afterwards stopped fiddling with the magic that restrained both him and his powers. 

It really was futile.

Kyungsoo remained alert the rest of the night, constantly watching the entrance of the tent and listening to the quiet beyond. It was because of this that he had finally caught Jongin entering at dawn, silent as always, whilst carrying a steaming bowl of soup and a plate of meat.

Jongin pulled over the table in front of the bed with his foot and with graceful efficiency, laid out the food before Kyungsoo. Before he could even open his mouth to refuse the food, his stomach growled—clear and distinct in the silence of the tent.

A ghost of a smirk touched Jongin’s lips. Picking up a piece of meat to bite into it and sipping a bit of the soup, he turned his back on Kyungsoo and tossed an offhanded, “It’s up to you if you want to eat or not,” before leaving.

The actions once again left him speechless. Just like the glass of water, Jongin removed all traces of suspicion from the food. Did that make Kyungsoo incredibly predictable? Or did that mean, in the five years since they were separated, only Jongin had truly changed between both of them?

Frowning, Kyungsoo picked at the food, thoughts whirling like the vegetables that swirled in his soup.

The next time Kyungsoo woke up, another day had passed but this time a different person was staring at him from across the tent—blue eyes like shining sapphires tinged with silver alight with barely contained curiosity.

This had Kyungsoo immediately backing up in the small space, his eyes once again darting around to find a weapon. He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep but that was no excuse for his carelessness to have someone actually manage to sneak up on him. In the end, all he had was the wooden spoon from the soup Jongin had brought. Kyungsoo held it in front of him, his eyes determined to beat the hell out of the person with it if he so much as dared to attack.

“Who are you?” He willed himself to remain calm and study the person before him. A moment to breathe was always an advantage for anyone.

The man before him was young, maybe around Kyungsoo’s age or younger. Under a mop of pale white hair the color of freshly fallen snow, bright round eyes, and fairy-like features regarded him as if they had found a shiny new toy to play with. Ethereal was how he would have described the person had he he not been in this kind of situation.

The corners of the boy’s lips seemed to constantly curve upward in a warm smile as he studied Kyungsoo from across the tent. In fact, when the hunter had finally calmed down from the shock, Kyungsoo found that this person bore no killing intent. That just made Kyungsoo even warier. Who knew when that facade would fade?

“You’re a funny one.” The youth laughed, the sound light and airy, much like his demeanor. “Kai said you’d be on edge but I didn’t think you’d be this guarded with little ol’ me. I didn’t even do anything yet.”

Kyungsoo stiffened at the word ‘yet’, however, his disbelief and shock at this person’s temperament outweighed his wariness. Wasn’t it natural to be on guard when you were captured by the enemy? Did the boy before him know no such regard for self-preservation in dangerous or unknown situations like this? Never mind that Kyungsoo was shackled to a post (which was beside the point) and couldn’t do any magic. 

Kyungsoo paused. _Or was this boy just extremely confident in his abilities to always get out of them?_

If it was the former, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but be bewildered and be worried for the boy at the same time. If it was the latter, Kyungsoo just gripped the wooden spoon a wee bit tighter.

He mentally slapped himself. Now was definitely not the time for such idle thoughts. He should be more worried about himself.

“Who is this Kai?” Kyungsoo asked through gritted teeth. “No, more importantly, who are _you_?”

“Hmm, I wonder. _Who_ am I?” The boy cocked his head before shifting his eyes to the manacle on Kyungsoo’s wrists. He inched closer, excitement brimming in those bright blue eyes. “Oh wow, I can’t believe it worked on a human. I saw the flash last night and I badly wanted to come in and see if you were still alive—I didn't know the repercussions when I made this, you see—but Kai stopped me. He’s such a party pooper. Then again, my inventions have the slightest tendency to explode so no surprise there." The boy pouted after saying that all in one breath. 

Kyungsoo was left speechless, but the other continued as if in the end, it was no big deal. 

In a flash, he grabbed Kyungsoo's hands to inspect the silver cuffs even closer, shifting it this way and that. What surprised him even more though was the strength hidden beneath the boy's delicate fingers. He couldn’t get away even if he wanted to.

"Hey hey, tell me. What does it feel like to have your magic shut off? Does it feel suffocating? Does it hurt? Or does it feel more uncomfortable than anything else? Hey, tell me, I’m really curious.”

He was not given any time to answer in the breath between questions as the boy continued shooting off words, mentioning names he didn’t have a face to.

“Though I’m the maker and I wanted to try the manacle on myself, Chanyeol wouldn’t let me. He always tries to stop me from doing a lot of stupid stuff but this time, I know it isn’t stupid at all. You agree, right? Every inventer knows they should try the things they make on themselves first before trying it on other people. At least if things go bad, explosion or otherwise, the only person to blame would be himself and the miscalculations—”

It was when the boy tilted his head to the side once more to check under the cuffs and the chain that Kyungsoo finally noticed the pointed ears hidden beneath the shock of white hair.

“Y-you’re...you’re an _elf_ —” Kyungsoo jerked back but the other still had his hands firmly in his grip so all that did was scooch him back a mere inch.

“Yes yes,” Baekhyun said, waving away the statement as if it didn’t matter at all. “I know what you’re going to say, that we should have been dead all those years ago blah blah blah. But we’re here. We exist. No, we did not fade out. Not yet. We don't know when that'll happen. But really, that’s such a long and boring story that only Junmyeon would ever want to hear. What we should be _really_ talking about is how you feel—”

“BAEKHYUN? WHERE ARE YOU?” A deep voice beyond the tent cut off the elf’s rambling, effectively shutting him up. “DON’T TELL ME—”

“Whoops, looks like time’s up for me!” Baekhyun, the elf, immediately hopped back, light as a feather. “It was nice meeting you, Kyungsoo! I’ll see you in a bit. _Then_ you can continue telling me what you think of my little ol’ device.” He grinned again at the hunter, saluting before dashing madly out the tent.

Kyungsoo was once again left speechless, his mind reeling at meeting such a person.

Like Baekhyun said, an hour later they did officially meet.

Jongin came into the tent, bringing a bowl of water for Kyungsoo to wash his face and placed it on the table. Bringing out a set of pants, he tossed it on the bed and said, “Get ready, we’re heading somewhere.”

Kyungsoo wasn’t left much of a choice as Jongin headed back outside to leave him with some privacy. He did as he was told. Gritting his teeth as he put on the flying leathers—it was surprisingly light yet made of tough material he knew would keep the cold out—the wound on his leg stung to high heaven yet Kyungsoo absolutely refused to call out for Jongin’s help.

He had to retain what little dignity he had left. Thankfully he managed without too much trouble.

Shortly after that, Jongin came back in and unhooked the chain from the post and looped it around his arm. With a nod, his face still completely unreadable, he gestured for Kyungsoo to come out.

“Is this really necessary?” Kyungsoo grumbled, frowning at his manacles. There was an elf on Jongin’s team and he was outnumbered; escape was but a dream in this situation.

Jongin shrugged. “You’re a hunter.” In other words, _I don’t trust you anymore. We stand on opposing sides._

Kyungsoo bit his tongue to stop himself from snapping back; that would only do more harm than good anyway. Besides, Jongin had all the right in the world to mistrust him, seeing as how he _did_ try to capture the rider a few days ago. So all Kyungsoo did was keep his head held high, as he stepped out of the tent to face the people outside.

Freshly fallen snow crunched underneath their boots as he and Jongin emerged into the wide clearing, snow-capped mountains reaching high to kiss the rising sun in the background. The crisp cool wind nipped at his face, but the chill that should have bitten at his bones—as was usual with high altitude places—did not come. It was as if someone had enchanted the air around the place to keep the majority of the harsh cold mountain winds outside and the inside bearable. He glanced around and found a handful of tents surrounding a dying campfire. 

Kyungsoo realized his own humble abode was the only outlier of the group but he wasn’t surprised. It was a given that the other people who resided in this campsite wanted to keep their distance from a prisoner like him.

“Where are we going?” Kyungsoo couldn’t help but ask when Jongin started walking towards the camp.

“There’s a place we have to visit,” Jongin replied simply. Kyungsoo waited for more of an explanation but there was nothing else. This Jongin had fewer words to say than the Jongin of five years ago. Can a few years actually change someone so much?

Just as Kyungsoo was pondering over this, a voice cut through the quiet of the campsite, interrupting his thoughts. “YOU DID _WHAT_?”

Bright tinkling laughter followed. “Relax,” the voice quipped. “He’s harmless.”

“Easy for you to—” The other stopped as soon as Jongin and Kyungsoo came into view. 

Despite the number of tents in this place, only two people waited to greet them expectantly in the middle, both wearing the standard quality black leathers Kyungsoo had long associated with riders.

One of them Kyungsoo had already met earlier: Baekhyun, the petite moon-haired elf whose face constantly harbored a bright toothy smile. The other, a head taller than the person by his side, Kyungsoo had yet to meet. 

Now if Baekhyun was the summer sun eagerly waiting at the end of spring, the man beside him was the winter frost that bordered the edge of autumn. The fiery red hair that covered delicately pointed ears did nothing to warm the cold and impassive face that regarded Kyungsoo with just the faintest bit of hostility and wariness hidden beneath piercing gold eyes. An angry scar ran down the right side of his face, long and jagged and reaching his neck, which added more ferocity to the otherwise elegant elven features. The fingers at his side seemed to twitch every few seconds towards the saber that hung at his waist the closer Kyungsoo and Jongin got to Baekhyun and him as if he couldn’t wait a second longer to hack at something. Or someone.

Already, Kyungsoo knew they would get along just fine. Sarcasm heavily emphasized.

They sized each other up—a dragon baring his fangs and claws at the tiger that prowled to him—but before he or Kyungsoo could say a word, Baekhyun bounded up to them with a shit-eating grin.

“Hello, Kyungsoo,” he said, laughter bubbling behind every word at the secret they shared. “My name is Baekhyun and that grumpy old stiff back there is Chanyeol. It’s nice to meet you. He says the same thing as well.”

Chanyeol huffed in annoyance before turning on his heel and headed towards the forest, the menacing aura he emanated following him. "Let's get this over with. I want to be back already."

"Silly Chanyeol," Baekhyun cooed at the retreating figure, shaking his head. "You can’t be _back_ if you haven't even left yet."

Kyungsoo couldn't help but throw a distressed glance at Jongin. He had already met this elf twice, but both meetings left him extremely bewildered and confused.

Sensing the lost look and the meaning behind, a corner of Jongin's lip lifted slightly. “Don’t mind him. Baekhyun has always been like that.” 

"And Chanyeol's like that with everybody," Baekhyun stage-whispered with a wink.

"YOU LOT BETTER GET YOUR ASSES HERE QUICKLY."

Baekhyun gave Kyungsoo a pointed look as if to say, _See? No difference._ He turned those bright blue eyes tinged with silver to the manacles at his wrist. "Please forgive our _obvious_ lack of hospitality at the moment, Kyungsoo. I’m sure Kai here didn’t explain anything, but Her Majesty insisted we take extreme precautionary measures. And you have to understand you aren't exactly...the common guest."

Of course, he knew he wasn’t the common guest. It’s a miracle they even treated him this way—giving him a tent, cleaning his wound, and providing him food to eat—despite him being the enemy.

No, it was more of a miracle he was still very much alive.

But ‘ _Kai’_? Kyungsoo eyed the rider by his side. The mysterious name from before suddenly cleared up but since when did Jongin take up this name and why? There were still too many questions racing through his head about this rider who appeared out of nowhere but Kyungsoo knew he didn’t have any right to ask them. Maybe he did once when they still knew such familiarity, but the years apart—and the fact that they stood on opposite sides now—was as glaring as the chasm that separated them all those years ago.

Kyungsoo shook his head mentally. He had to get rid of such residual feelings. Jongin seemed to have already done the same.

So he focused on the other person Baekhyun mentioned that seemed more important to this whole situation. 

Who was this ‘ _Majesty’_? All of the neighboring countries of Elyx were led by kings. Only Raghin, Elyx’s vassal state, was led by their Crown Princess and Queen Regent. However they were too docile and loyal to Elyx that it couldn’t possibly be them. Besides, if it was known that they had been harboring elves among their people, it wouldn’t sit too lightly with the rest of the surrounding kingdoms, so Kyungsoo immediately ruled them out. 

Elves were beings closer to myths and legends nowadays than they were a couple hundred or so years ago. Their magical capabilities and mana reserves ultimately surpassed that of mere humans with their kind of magic being inherent by nature. They were beautiful, powerful, and proud, and according to the texts, long-lived. However their race came with one drawback. Female elves had difficulty conceiving, thus elven children were rare and extremely hard to come by. Eventually, as the years went by, the race faded out of existence.

But here, in this very clearing, Kyungsoo had encountered two of their kind already. This just proved that the race didn’t go extinct all those years ago.

“C’mon,” murmured Jongin, gently tugging at the chain to get Kyungsoo to move. “Junmyeon and Ryujin are waiting for us by the lake.”

Kyungsoo stumbled a step forward, still partly lost in his thoughts. Baekhyun, who had been checking out the manacles with another manic expression, immediately schooled his face into a serious one before nodding. Taking Kyungsoo’s other side, they marched him down the path Chanyeol had just stalked down. If it weren’t for the trees and quiet calmness of the place, one would have thought they were bringing Kyungsoo to his execution.

The path winded down for a few minutes before the forest opened up to a lake as clear as glass, a thin layer of frost covering the surface, reflecting the morning light. By the shore was a large stone table and beside it, a pot balanced over some stones right above the fireplace. As a slight breeze ruffled Kyungso’s hair, the distinct scent of hazelnut and sandalwood wafted up to them. A white dragon barely the size of a small house cat, its scales as luminous as pearls of the sea, slept on the table, small snout resting atop clawed hands.

Chanyeol was further down by the lake, his stern tall figure a statue against the winds that blew around them. He glanced back momentarily before turning back to continue glaring at the distance, his arms crossed tightly over his broad chest.

Apart from them, not a soul could be seen.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun called out with a laugh, waving. “Did Junmyeon do something again? You seem to be even more irritated than a while ago. I can practically see the steam coming out of your ears!”

Chanyeol muttered something under his breath, ignoring the elf.

“Hehe, I’ll be right back,” was all Baekhyun piped before he skipped down to the taller’s side to tackle him.

“Let’s leave them be.” Jongin tugged them towards the table and Kyungsoo had no choice but to follow. As Kyungsoo neared the table and the sleeping dragon, he realized he had already met this one as well: _Ryujin_ , Jongin’s steed.

A lazy eye the color of blooming lavender winked open and as she saw her rider, she immediately uncoiled in a stretch, her back arching in a half-moon curve. She wagged her tail, purring slightly, her actions no different from a cat enjoying a sunbath. Her scales shimmered, shooting rainbows as she shifted to the side, revealing a part on her chest where black and dark purple veins bloomed around a tiny wound beneath a band of silver.

“How are you feeling, girl?” Jongin asked as he reached out a hand to scratch her behind the ears. “Did Junmyeon treat you well?”

She answered with another purr before flicking those slitted eyes at Kyungsoo who couldn’t completely stay far away due to the chains. She snarled quietly.

“Be nice.” Jongin chastised gently. "He didn't do anything wrong." _Yet._

Kyungsoo ignored the underlying message and glared back at Ryujin but realized what was ultimately wrong with this picture. “Wait, how is she so... _small_?”

Ryujin huffed before turning away. Kyungsoo swore he saw her roll her eyes at him.

“Ryujin is a special case,” replied Jongin. Kyungsoo was quite surprised he even answered this one. He thought it would be another round of vague responses but Jongin continued. “She can change her size according to her will.”

Kyungsoo glanced up at the rider who was still gazing back at his dragon, and beneath those piercing hazel eyes was a layer of warmth and softness Kyungsoo hadn’t seen in ages. Maybe...just maybe, there was still a little bit of the boy he knew back then. He felt a tug in his heart but what Jongin said caught most of his attention so he immediately ignored such notions and focused on the matter at hand.

“Ryujin can use magic? Is it inherent?”

“Yup! She’s a rare one!” Baekhyun agreed from beside him. The elf had snuck up behind them so quietly, Kyungsoo had to clench his jaw to refrain from jumping.

Baekhyun’s face was flushed, his smile even brighter than before. Behind him, Chanyeol was still gazing at the lake but the menacing aura from moments ago had already dimmed again. And maybe Kyungsoo was seeing things, but the tips of the taller’s pointy ears were a little pink themselves.

Baekhyun continued matter-of-factly, as he happily played with Ryujin. “Only a special few like Her Majesty can use magic but it turns out our little Ryujin can do it, too.” 

Ryujin huffed haughtily as if to say, _Of course, why couldn’t I do it,_ but still indulged in Baekhyun’s administrations.

A dragon who was born with magic? Kyungsoo had never encountered one in his years as a hunter. All he ever met were the ones who could breathe fire or some other kind of element and even those gave him enough trouble to last lifetimes. How much more a dragon that could command the only advantage humans had over them?

And _Her Majesty_ …was a dragon that could, too? He had heard stories about dragons coming together with a dragon queen leading the nest but they were just that, stories. If this was a queen Baekhyun was talking about then Kyungsoo couldn’t help but feel a small bite of wariness as he eyed the smaller dragon who might as well share the same abilities as the coming threat. Ryujin, oblivious to it all, still leisurely enjoyed her rider’s scratches to the head.

He filed those information away for now. He could use that later when he got away.

Baekhyun bent down slightly to inspect her wound. “Looks like Junmyeon was able to clean it as much as he could. It doesn’t look as grave as it did a couple of days ago. He really is a genius healer.”

“Your seal seems to be working, too, Baek, even if this will temporarily stop the poison from spreading. Thank you.” Jongin tapped the silver band at the base of Ryujin’s throat. “She doesn’t seem too bothered by it.” 

Baekhyun waved away the gratitude. “I’m still quite shocked myself it worked. If it wasn't for Kyungsoo being the first test—” Kyungsoo shot him a look in alarm. Baekhyun grinned, continuing as if he hadn’t noticed, "—we wouldn’t have that."

Kyungsoo shook his head at the elf in disbelief. It was one thing to not have tried the invention but it was another thing for someone to be the first blood unwillingly.

Baekhyun noticed this. He patted Kyungsoo on the shoulder sympathetically. “May your luck continue to run deep and true.”

He was once again left completely speechless. He had never encountered a person as thick-faced as Baekhyun.

“You’ll have to bear this form a little while longer, okay, Ryuu?" Jongin stared into Ryujin’s eyes, clear hazel ones to astounding lavender. "Just until we can get rid of that nasty poison.”

Kyungsoo couldn't help but wonder. “What happened to her?”

“A shadow arrow pierced her when she saved us.” 

Sure enough there was a wound on the juncture between her chest and right shoulder the size of a needle puncture. They must’ve kept Ryujin in this size to keep the wound from getting worse and festering. However the wound hadn't completely closed and the black and purple veins didn’t look any close to healing. As he peered down to look, Ryujin snapped her amethyst eyes at him, growling low in her throat.

It was clear to him that despite being saved by her, she still considered Kyungsoo an enemy.

“Junmyeon had already removed the effects of the dragonsbane but some sort of dark magic lingered. Baekhyun did what he could to seal it from spreading.”

Kyungsoo had to give props to Baekhyun and this Junmyeon person. A dragon caught in the effects of the plant was not easy to deal with and they managed to do all these in a matter of days without much trouble.

“Junmyeon...that’s who we’re meeting, right?” A nod from Baekhyun and Jongin. “Where is he?”

Just then a fountain of water erupted from the middle of the lake, spraying a myriad of rainbows in the morning light that peeked out of the clouds. A dragon with scales of deep blue and grey like stormy ocean waves rose from the depths, great wings creating powerful strokes as it reached for the sky. 

For a moment, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but appreciate the majestic sight. However, in the next second, it roared, causing the hair at the back of his arms and neck to rise as he instinctively went on guard.

“He’s over there,” replied Jongin simply as he jutted with his chin towards the pale figure that rode on the dragon’s back—a shot of white against the dark scales.

The azure dragon circled once in the sky before it descended to land on the shore. This one was certainly bigger than Ryujin and the shadow beast of the phantoms, and when it landed, the ground shook with its force. Despite himself, Kyungsoo took back a step, a little uneasy at how near it was.

The rider hopped off neatly, water glistening down his face and dripping from the tips of his dark hair. With his pale white skin, sharp yet elegant nose, and regal aura, one could mistake him to be the handsome son of a lord. If it wasn’t for Kyungsoo’s trained eye that caught the way he carried himself, he would have never believed that this man was as much as a warrior himself as he was a scholar and that the sword that hung at his waist had seen its fair share of battles. 

Junmyeon’s white robes, a stark contrast to the riders’ usual flying leathers, were completely drenched as well but with a casual wave of his hands, he gathered the water off himself and his clothes, and flicked it off to the side. His dragon on the other hand, shook the water off like a dog after a bath, but none of the droplets seemed to land on the rider.

Kyungsoo stood dumbfounded at that. He had never seen someone with this level of control and power. His magic was inherent, that much was clear.

“Wait, is he—” began Kyungsoo as he stared at the other person’s features once more, the answer of why something felt slightly off finally clicking into place.

Jongin hummed in agreement, reading Kyungsoo’s thoughts. “Human? Yes, though elven blood, too, runs in his veins. A half-elf if you will."

_So even such beings existed._

“But don’t let that face fool you. He’s as old as Baekhyun.”

Kyungsoo whipped his head towards Jongin, eyebrows shooting up. “Jongin, exactly just _how_ old is Baekhyun?”

“Hello, everyone,” Junmyeon greeted them with a serene smile, interrupting Jongin before he could answer. Bright eyes the color of fine jade landed on Kyungsoo, assessing him. “I see our...guest has finally awakened.”

Chanyeol harrumphed from the side. The taller elf had moved to stand beside Baekhyun as soon as Junmyeon had emerged from the lake, still looking incredibly stiff and pissed off.

“I told you they were coming yet you still insisted on diving down that damn lake.”

Junmyeon chuckled. “Well, you see, Ryujin would be needing this for the journey as she insisted on coming with you.” 

He reached into the billowing sleeves of his robe and pulled out what looked to be a greenish-blue blob of seagrass. He curled his hand into a fist and extracted the water from the plant, immediately drying it up.

Sauntering over to the brewing pot, he dropped the dried grass into the concoction and smiled as the soothing smell that had wafted out of the pot turned bitter and pungent. The small party that had gathered curiously around Junmyeon backed up immediately from the smell, their eyes watering. Even Ryujin who had climbed up her rider's back tried to get away from the stench, her clawed hands pawing at her snout.

"Ack, Junmyeon," complained Baekhyun as he pinched his nose. "Why does it always turn like this no matter what potion you make?"

Scooping two spoonfuls of the alarmingly moss green liquid with the dipper that hung on the pot's side and pouring it swiftly into two bottles, Junmyeon laughed breezily. "It doesn't matter if it smells. It’s effective, isn’t it?"

“If your goal was to drive people away, then yes, extremely.”

Junmyeon rolled his eyes at the smaller’s antics, shaking his head in amusement. He gave one bottle to Jongin and to Kyungsoo's surprise, handed the other to him along with a thick roll of bandages he produced out of the numerous pockets in his sleeves.

"For your wound," Junmyeon said. "Apply it externally everytime you change the dressing. It'll keep the infection at bay."

Kyungsoo was again left speechless but he managed to mutter a thank you as he accepted the medicine.

Why were they treating him like this? This was completely beyond any rational behaviour of people who have captured an enemy. He didn’t know what to say or do in this situation. Junmyeon seemed to notice the confusion in his eyes yet he still smiled gently at the hunter as if he understood. 

“We don’t want it to fester until we can get the antidote which might take another few days depending on how long you all can gather the main ingredient.” 

At this, the group immediately stood at attention. This must’ve been the reason Jongin and the others had gathered in the first place. 

Junmyeon’s expression turned serious. “I finally received word from Jongdae from the Archives. He said it's highly possible the _myosotis drakosphillia_ could be found in the Lost Oasis.”

Kyungsoo reeled at that. “The Oasis is but a legend. No one has ever seen it.”

The Oasis was a common topic of interest in the Guild in Kyungsoo's years growing up but it was more about the rumored treasures it held rather than the actual place. Hunting creatures 

Junmyeon’s jade eyes twinkled. “Oh, but don’t creatures of legend stand before you now, Kyungsoo? Was it not only mere hours ago that you had still firmly believed the elves had already faded out of existence? Why not have a little faith in this place?”

Again, he didn’t have an answer to that.

“He’s messing with you.” Jongin sighed. “The Oasis does for a fact exist. Junmyeon’s been there before, together with Jongdae, some centuries ago to study the flora and fauna of the place.”

The half-elf in question was laughing quietly at the exasperated look Kyungsoo threw his way. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was still trying to wrap his mind around the place the Guild had always considered to be a thing of legends was real and that someone had actually been there, he would have been more shocked over the casual information thrown his way that Junmyeon—and to an extent, Baekhyun—were already over a hundred years old. It was a miracle Kyungsoo was still standing at the load of information thrown his way.

“But the plant he mentioned just now...” Jongin trailed off as he turned once again to the healer, furrowing his brows as he tried to connect the dots. “It’s only ever been seen once and even the texts on that were vague. If anything, it’s more of a myth than the actual Oasis. How is Jongdae certain it could be there?”

It was a solid question even if Kyungsoo was still a little lost. At that, he couldn't resist leaning towards Baekhyun. whispering, “‘Drakosphillia’?”

Baekhyun giddily whispered back, eyes shining. “It’s a flower said to be able to heal any ailment, magic or otherwise, in the known world or at least that's what Jongdae and Junmyeon had hypothesized after reading up on cures for dragonsbane poisoning. Legend has it that it bloomed from a tear shed by a powerful ancient king the day his child was born. Kinda amazing, don’t you think?”

Kyungsoo wasn’t entirely sure. Why would they go through all this trouble for a tiny plant they couldn’t even be sure existed until now?

However, Junmyeon wasn’t deterred by Jongin’s inquiry at all. In fact, he looked even more excited the more he spoke.

“The Lost Oasis is one of the last few places in this world filled with the remnants of ancient magic and according to the archive texts, Jongdae read, also the last place recorded of a sighting of a plant thought to be the drakosphillia. With the great mana fluctuations surrounding the Oasis making it incredibly difficult to enter, it also keeps certain magic leftover from generations past from seeping out. Thus, the environment in places like these with magic both ancient and new being kept contained and controlled in a constant flow meets the conditions Jongdae has narrowed down for undiscovered or rare species to more likely thrive.”

“But didn’t you come across it when you were there?” asked Kyungsoo.

“Unfortunately, no,” replied Junmyeon. “Our time there...it was nowhere near as long as I wanted it to be, but the study was enough. Just have a little faith.”

Chanyeol harrumphed again and stalked towards the lake. “Then let’s go already. What are you all waiting for? We got what we came here for.”

Junmyeon smiled again. “He’s right. We’ve already wasted enough time talking. Come now. Hydro will take you there.” 

The dragon in question perked up at its name, thumping its tail lightly on the ground. Kyungsoo wondered for a moment why Junmyeon wouldn’t be coming with them himself when he was clearly someone who knew the Lost Oasis but his doubts on just how they would survive that place were answered a moment later.

Junmyeon produced a golden orb that he pulled out from his sleeves again and handed it to Jongin. “This is from Jongdae. He stored a few descriptions into this that might help you all in your quest to find the flower. I also took the liberty of storing the books and maps I once drew of the Oasis back when I visited and what places there you all should avoid. It’s been years and the layouts may have changed by now but I pray that this will still aid you as much as it can.”

The orb didn’t look like anything special. It was just a piece of metal the size of a large marble. Yet Baekhyun looked at it like it was treasure that fell from the sky.

“Yes! I can’t believe you both finally used one!” Baekhyun’s eyes glittered even brighter than when he was explaining the drakosphillia, and at Kyungsoo’s questioning look, he explained. “It’s another work-in-progress of mine. I imbued it with my mana and magic so that these little things can store and seal information and project them when you need it later. For now, it can only handle a few scrolls or texts but if I ever succeed, it might just one day store memory. But again Chanyeol, that old stick-in-the-mud won’t let me try it on myself so who knows when I’ll ever finish it.”

Kyungsoo was too amazed to say anything. He had never seen magic applied this way. Baekhyun’s magic was clearly inherent but he didn’t just stop there and cultivate the use for his benefit. He used his magic for the benefit of the people around him and that was something Kyungsoo had never expected.

“How’d you come up with something like that?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m a genius, that’s all.” Baekhyun laughed, touching his nose knowingly before bounding off to Chanyeol who whistled two short notes from the shore towards the sky.

Jongin sighed again from Kyungsoo’s side. “Again, don’t believe him. He just didn’t want to have to look at boring old scrolls all day.”

Junmyeon chuckled, agreeing. “They also have tend to explode. Gives learning more _boom_ , he says.”

Of all the things Do Kyungsoo had ever experienced in his twenty-one years of life on earth (which really wasn’t much), he had expected this the least.

“Nope. Whatever you do, Jongin, I am _not_ getting on that.”

Riding on the back of a dragon was the last thing Kyungsoo ever thought he would do in this lifetime. He eyed the hand Jongin held out, stepping back when the dragon with azure scales that had burst out of the lake grunted at him. The fact that he didn’t even have his sword or magic to defend himself made him antsier than normal as he faced the dragon. He felt that any second now, the dragon would attack him.

It was huge, definitely larger than the captured beast the phantoms had summoned in the forest. The talons and claws were as thick as Kyungsoo’s arms, and the darker hued spikes that grew out of the back, starting just after the saddle, were straight out of a hunter’s nightmare. The blue dragon was as majestic as it was terrifying.

After conferring with Junmyeon, Chanyeol had called out with two short whistles. Two dragons—a monstrous fiery red one (bigger than Hydro to Kyungsoo's horror) and the other, a dark twilight one of Hydro's build—appeared from above the trees. Kyungsoo didn’t have to guess which dragon belonged to who. They landed and immediately Baekhyun and Chanyeol mounted their steeds who each bore large packs on their backs, ready for a long trip.

Kyungsoo hadn't quite known what was going on until Jongin threw a leather jacket at him and tugged him towards Junmyeon’s dragon where he gestured for him to get on the already dry saddle.

It clicked then and Kyungsoo felt his knees locking in fear which was something they hadn’t done since that battle of Canyeone. He immediately shook his head. “I’m staying here. I won’t cause any trouble to Junmyeon.”

Despite Baekhyun and Junmyeon repeatedly assuring him Hydro was the most docile dragon in their outpost, he couldn’t exactly trust the words that came out from the former’s mouth curled up in a shit-eating grin. And Junmyeon was biased toward his dragon which ruled out his opinion from the very start. 

However, with Ryujin out of commission (though even if she was, he still wouldn’t get on), they didn’t really have much of a choice and Jongin insisted flying by dragon was effectively more efficient than traveling by horse.

Kyungsoo knew this but that still didn’t mean he wanted to willingly get on a beast that could kill him.

Jongin sighed. “Kyungsoo, it’s not that hard.” He patted the dragon’s hide affectionately, it’s tail wagging and thumping on the ground in response. “See? Hydro won’t bite.”

“Easy for you to say. It doesn’t look like it wants to kill you.”

“A dragon? Wanting to kill a human?” The rider gasped dramatically. “ _No_ , you don’t say.”

Kyungsoo wanted nothing more than to wring that sarcastic smirk off his face. Even the impatient snort of Jongin’s dragon that peeked behind her rider’s shoulder annoyed him to no end. However, the pressing matter of avoiding a ride with a dragon was more important. He gripped the chains of the enchanted manacles to hide the small tremble in his hands. If he could help it, he really didn’t want to get on the beast.

“He really won’t bite, you know.” Junmyeon stepped around him and caressed his dragon’s snout. “Hydro prefers to swallow his prey more and you’re unfortunately much too big for that.”

Kyungsoo smiled tightly. “Thanks, I find that incredibly encouraging.” 

As the dragon turned, purring from the scratches Junmyeon gave behind his ears, its giant golden eyes locked on Kyungsoo, and it bared its razor-sharp fangs right at him.

“Look at that Kyungsoo, he’s even smiling at you.”

“Yeah no, I’ll stay here,” insisted Kyungsoo, backing up again as far as the chain that was connected to Jongin could reach. “Really. You can even leave Chanyeol to stay with me if you don’t trust me enough.”

“Pfft.”

Kyungsoo threw his glare at Baekhyun but the elf had already turned the other way, casually whistling. 

But what he said was true. Kyungsoo would rather take his chances with the fiery redhead than the dragon smiling at him. The only elf in this outpost who absolutely despised his guts seemed tamer than the other beasts they kept in this place.

“Keep dreaming, hunter,” scoffed Chanyeol with a glare his way. He clicked his reins twice and the fiery red dragon he rode shot up to the sky like a burst of flames. Baekhyun laughed before following suit on his smaller horned-dragon, snow-white hair blowing wildly in the wind.

All that was left by the lakeshore was Kyungsoo and Jongin’s deadlock, Junmyeon the healer, and Hydro who waited patiently for the rider and hunter to stop quarreling.

Ryujin peeked again from over her rider’s shoulder, securely wrapped inside a satchel with only her head popping out. This was how she would be traveling for the next few days if they didn’t get the flower in time and she was allowed to turn back to her normal size. She already looked annoyed at him, gearing to go from where she piggybacked.

Jongin sighed, patted Hydro’s hide once, and then got on, seating himself on the saddle. “You brought this on yourself, Soo.”

The next thing Kyungsoo knew was that an azure tail had wrapped itself around his torso, lifted him up in the air, and dumped him unceremoniously on the saddle, right in front of the smirking rider. It didn’t even matter to the dragon that he wasn’t _sitting_ on the damn saddle but laying across it, right on top of Jongin’s lap.

“Jongin! What—wait!”

“Hold on,” was all he got before Hydro pushed off the ground and climbed towards the sky with a joyous roar, Junmyeon’s ‘ _Good luck!’_ fading into the background with every second that passed. It was all Kyungsoo could do to hold on to Jongin’s leg for dear life, shutting his eyes tightly.

“Kyungsoo, open your eyes! You have to see all of this!” There was a laugh in the damn bastard’s voice as if he enjoyed seeing Kyungsoo like this, all helpless and completely at his mercy. _Damn bastard_. 

“Screw you!” He pinched the rider’s leg, crying out every curse word he knew as he felt the saddle bump and slide at their ascending pace. “Let me down now you d—”

Before he could finish, Hydro let out a piercing roar and _dived_ down. For a brief moment, Kyungsoo felt himself lift off the saddle, completely airborne. He had never been more scared in his life. 

If this was his end—death by falling off a dragon—he would never forgive himself. Just as Kyungsoo thought it wouldn’t get any worse, Hydro began climbing once more and Kyungsoo found himself landing hard on the saddle on his stomach with an _oomph_. This time, he bodily hugged the saddle with everything he got. And maybe it was just his imagination, but every so often as the wind would rush through his ears, he could hear Baekhyun’s maniacal laughter fading in and out with it.

“Jongin! Okay okay! I give in. I’ll ride with you! Just—just _please_ for gods’ sake let this thing fly out normally!”

Jongin chuckled lightly, caressing the dragon’s neck from above Kyungsoo. “Alright, Hydro, you heard him. You had your fun. This is his first time flying; it’s not for everyone.”

Kyungsoo felt a rumbling response from the dragon and at that, spread its mighty wings to catch an updraft and _finally_ leveled out.

Jongin patted Kyungsoo’s back. “We’re good now. This time, you should really open your eyes.”

His heart and sense of the world were still spinning and rumbling around like crazy but he still tried and carefully peeked out. Kyungsoo found himself seeing a view no painting could ever do justice. Towering columns of wispy white bathed in the golden light of the morning, reaching towards an endless ocean of blue around them. It was magnificent, nothing like he had ever seen before. He could almost forget that he was flying.

Despite himself, Kyungsoo found himself reaching out to touch a cloud they passed and found them to be soft wisps of vapor that immediately dissipated in cold mist. He went to touch another one but Hydro climbed over a large one and finally flew out of the cloud bank.

Forest, rivers, and mountains too small to be anything but a flat expanse of green and blue lay below them, and for a moment, the problems of the world stayed rooted to the ground, distancing them from Kyungsoo, and it was just Jongin, him, and the endless peace of the blue sky before them.

“You’ll enjoy the view more if you sat properly,” said Jongin as he caught sight of the wonder that escaped onto Kyungsoo’s face.

“Hmm, yeah, I _wonder_ how I got into this.” He grumbled back, immediately scowling.

Jongin chuckled before he nudged him gently, a silent gesture for Kyungsoo to move. With lesser difficulty than he expected (he would sooner jump off this dragon than admit that he’d relied entirely on Jongin who manhandled him into a sitting position), Kyungsoo found himself off his stomach and facing the vast expanse of sky. And maybe it was just him, but despite the wind, his face felt hot.

As the rider behind him had the reins, he searched for something to hold on to. There was nothing except the two horn ridges that grew along Hydro’s slender neck, the horns decreasing in size all the way to the top of the dragon’s head. 

The pair of horns near the saddle was long enough to hold so Kyungsoo reached out, hesitant to touch them.

“His teeth won’t reach you if that’s what you’re scared of.”

He glared back at Jongin but was taken aback with how close his face was. Since there wasn’t much space to begin with on the saddle, it was inevitable this would happen. However, even though he saw this coming, it still left him slightly breathless and unprepared.

Up close, Kyungsoo could see the golden flecks that glimmered in his eyes and the way the sun gently kissed every part of Jongin’s face. He had always known Jongin was handsome. There had been no shortage of female hunters who tripped over themselves to team up with him in the past, which was proof enough. Yet why is it that the Jongin before him now, the sun-kissed rider with the cold, impassive face, left him even more bothered and confused.

“I-I know that,” fumed Kyungsoo, as he hurriedly looked away, the tips of his ears burning. “It’s just...it’s not easy.”

They were quiet for another moment, the lands and valleys flying past below them. It still unsettled Kyungsoo to be greatly removed from the ground of which his magic depended upon but it wasn’t too unbearable. What he couldn’t stand was the silence between him and Jongin that grew longer with every passing mile. Again, he didn’t know what to say, how to approach the subject, or what even subject to approach.

Just when Kyungsoo finally got the nerve to ask him about why he left, Jongjn spoke first.

“You asked me last night how were you supposed to believe me...that I did not kill those hunters."

Kyungsoo stiffened slightly at those words spoken low in the harsh wind that blew past them. Right, that was the whole problem here. That was the reason he was chasing the rider in the first place. The shock of seeing Jongin alive has pushed that to the back of his mind.

"I do not have the proof right now the way I am—the way things are but... _please_ , if not for old times' sake then just this once, I'm asking you to trust me, Soo."

The nickname slipped out again and Kyungsoo found his defenses weakening once more. He hated it—hated how beneath all that pretense of hostility he showed, Kyungsoo _wanted_ to believe him—that now that he had seen the rider and his group, pieces and circumstances just would not fit with the person he knew, five years difference or no. It looked like getting rid of residual feelings was easier said than done.

"I cannot trust you, Jongin. Not that easily, not like that." Kyungsoo turned to the rider, this time steeling his heart as he met those piercing hazel eyes. This up-close, he could see every single detail on Jongin’s face from the elegant arch of his eyebrows down to the little white scar by his lip. "But...I can remain impartial enough until I find more proof about the situation. Shall we call a truce?"

Jongin nodded, a ghost of a smile appearing. "Truce."

"So will you finally take these damn chains off?"

He barked out a laugh. "Oh, unfortunately for that, you'll have to ask Chanyeol."

They flew for a couple of days, resting only at night. 

The landscape below them changed from snow-covered patches to flowing greens and browns of forests then to endless dust and sand. A long mountain chain occupied the far distance on their right before melting into the sparse forests below filled with boulders of numerous sizes and shapes slowly finally giving way to the beginnings of the sand. 

Kyungsoo immediately knew where they were: the Kieru Desert. 

It was a vast expanse of no man’s land on the south-east side of Elyx, just past the Canyeone Ridges that cleaved the lower part of the continent in half, separating this scarce land from the riches of their country. No king or emperor ruled this place; just scattered tribes of horsemen who each controlled a certain territory of the desert. They had requested the Guild’s help to battle the monsters and creatures that appeared here and there in the past but even then, no such talk of seeing the Lost Oasis had ever surfaced. Just merely legends and stories of it.

“Are you sure it’s here?” Kyungsoo asked, skeptical. Even if Junmyeon had been there, seeing the endless sand before them made him doubt the place once again.

“I heard Junmyeon found Hydro in the Lost Oasis so if he says it’s here, then it’s here.” 

It was Baekhyun who answered. The elf had come and gone in the past few hours, choosing either to fly by Chanyeol’s side who kept a good distance away or by theirs, usually in some sort of unexpected or unorthodox way. The elf now was sitting on top of the pack his mount carried, leaning back on his forearms, completely carefree and unbothered. He didn’t even try to hold the reins. 

There were many times Kyungsoo thought Baekhyun would fall off but the elf had yet to (aside from the times he did so intentionally).

 _He’s always like that_ , Jongin had said as means of explanation the first time the elf had popped out of nowhere, hanging off his dragon’s front leg with one hand like he was doing some sort of aerobatics. _Baekhyun gets bored so easily especially if he has to sit down for hours on end._

Kyungsoo again couldn’t help but wonder just how did this strange elf manage to survive—to even _live_ —for more than a hundred years. With the way this elf acted, it seemed like he was constantly on some sort of thrill-seeking death wish. He had watched Baekhyun throw him another maniacal grin before _actually_ letting go of his hold on his dragon and free fell a couple hundred meters, bright unbridled laughter fading with him.

His dragon, a female whose scales shone a purple so dark they looked black, had swooped down in the next second, easily catching her rider as if she was already used to his playing. Kyungsoo could have sworn he heard a frustrated huff from her just before she dived.

Kyungsoo eyed Baekhyun who had tilted his face up to soak in the bright sun, leg casually thrown over one knee. The temperature was bordering on scalding as they finally entered the desert but that didn’t seem to bother the elf at all.

“Remind me again how you aren’t afraid of falling off?”

“Easy.” Baekhyun flashed him a grin, confidence supreme. He jerked his thumb at Chanyeol who had finally decided to fly closer, his cold handsome face fixed in a permanent scowl as he stared forward. “I have that guy to catch me.”

The fiery elf heard this and rolled his eyes, scowl growing deeper, but still moved his dragon to fly below them.

The pieces started clicking for Kyungsoo. 

“Um, are you...?” He didn’t know how to voice out his question or if it was even appropriate to ask. He didn’t know a thing about elven culture or relationships. “I mean—”

“Hmm, I wonder. Just _what_ are we,” Baekhyun chuckled before lightly hopping off the pack to finally sit on the saddle. “Then again, even if the big oaf misses, I still got Kirin. Right, girl?”

Kirin, Baekhyun’s dragon rumbled in response, her soft pink eyes like the beginnings of dawn crescenting happily as her rider scratched her head affectionately. They flew another couple of miles with Baekhyun chattering on about his other inventions before Chanyeol finally climbed back to their side.

“Stay alert, I feel a storm brewing.”

Baekhyun and Jongin perked up at this, their eyes scanning the otherwise empty desert on instinct. Ryujin, who had woken up from her nap, peeked out again from over Jongin’s shoulder and growled softly at something in the distance. A few minutes later, the winds started picking up, sand and dust blowing in every direction.

“Get your masks on right now.” No one dared to question Chanyeol’s judgment.

“Do you feel that?” asked Jongin as he pulled out two masks identical to the one he wore when Kyungsoo and he first met. He handed one to the hunter who accepted it without any complaint.

“Feel what?” Kyungsoo replied.

“The air, it’s...it’s heavy with mana. We must be getting close.”

Jongin was right. At some point, the atmosphere had changed and despite the magic-sealing manacles that Kyungsoo wore which cut off his mana senses from the rest of the world, he could still feel the slight pressure and current that flowed and fluctuated around this place. If he could feel it to this extent, he didn’t want to know how it felt for the others. It crested and waned, pushed and pulled at his core like some sort of wave that just wouldn't let up. It made him want to turn back, to go the other way, and never return.

“This must be how the Lost Oasis has managed to stay hidden all this time,” remarked Baekhyun as he thoughtfully studied the coming storm that was now visible. “I feel sick already and we aren’t even there yet. Anyone less prepared for this would have already left.”

Suddenly Hydro roared and started climbing. The others followed suit. The closer they flew to where this Lost Oasis was, the heavier the mana fluctuations became. The winds continued raging just as towering cyclones of sand appeared a hundred meters away from them. They surrounded the entirety of a part of the desert but Kyungsoo knew they were different from the normal sandstorms that blew outside this range. These cyclones were completely made out of mana currents, constantly swirling and colliding with each other. 

“Hydro says—” Jongin yelled above the flurry, “—he says to go in the cyclone! That’s the only path to the Oasis!”

Baekhyun and Chanyeol nodded, falling in tight on either side of Hydro as they climbed to the top where the mana was densest.

“Jongin, are you crazy?” Kyungsoo whirled to him in alarm. It was impossible. They wouldn’t survive this. “We’ll be ripped apart!”

“Hydro knows what he’s doing. It’ll be fine.” The rider patted Kyungsoo’s waist before transferring Ryujin into his arms. “Hold on to her for me. This might get a little rough.”

Ryujin and Kyungsoo threw him identical looks of incredulity and bewilderment. She scrambled out of the pack to get back to her rider, whining.

“Jongin, I don’t think this—” A wing slapped him in the face. He glared at the white dragon who snobbed right back at him. If it wasn’t for the mask, he would have had a lot of tiny wounds by now. “I don’t think this will work. Might I remind you that she hates me?”

The taller sighed before looping the reins twice around his forearms and leveling them both with a hard expression. “We absolutely do not have the time for this.” He growled, pinning his piercing gaze at his tiny mount who was pushing Kyungsoo’s face away with her tiny claw as she struggled against his hold. “Ryujin. Just this once, okay?”

Ryujin whined before she conceded, retreating back into the satchel. Kyungsoo hugged her to his body and tried not to think that it was a dragon he was holding. It took everything in him not to push her away. Like Jongin said, now was definitely not the time.

“Sorry about this,” murmured Jongin in his ear as he gently but firmly pushed Kyungsoo down on the saddle, locking him in with his arms and body. “Endure it for now.”

“Is this really necessary?” Kyungsoo retorted awkwardly. He was thankful for the mask or who knows what face he’d be showing Jongin by now. There was barely any space between them and Kyungsoo became hyper-aware of every inch that pressed up against him.

“We have to stay as close to Hydro as possible or we’ll really be flung out.”

He hated it but Jongin was right. He also hated that in this position, he couldn’t help but feel secure. Kyungsoo mentally shook his head, he just had to focus on not falling off for the time being then he’ll deal with all the other feelings later. So gritting his teeth, he endured the long flight before them.

Hydro flew towards the middle column, powerful wings beating against the harsh wind and sand that pummeled them from every direction. Kyungsoo didn’t know how Baekhyun and Chanyeol were faring but from the looks of it, they weren’t too bested by the mana currents. With another roar, Hydro plunged straight into raging mana-filled towering winds of sand.

Kyungsoo didn’t know what happened next only that he felt his being pulled into a hundred different directions. Hydro had spiraled, drawn in by the current, just as the world turned and tilted. Kyungsoo no longer knew the right side of up or which side was down. All he knew were Jongin’s strong arms around Ryujin and him as the rider pinned them down fast to the saddle and Hydro’s neck to keep them from flying out.

Kyungsoo took this chance to peek, to see just where in the hell were they. There was nothing but sand around them but a second later, through the fury of sand and winds around them, an opening came and Kyungsoo saw, for just a moment, a yellow sky.

“There!” 

Hydro had seen it too and with a beat of his wings, carried them towards it The winds picked up, another fluctuation amidst it all, but this time stronger than the others they had encountered threatened to rip into their beings. Kyungsoo’s arms strained to keep his hold on both Ryujin and Hydro while Jongin held them all.

The white dragon peeked her head out of the satchel and let out one of her tiny roars. A second later, her scales shone, bright and warm against the flurry of sand. Exactly like the time they had fallen off the cliff.

Jongin gasped. “Ryujin, wait—!”

Kyungsoo suddenly felt the world swirl and spiral, his vision pinched and twisted, tunneling through a tiny hole bringing along with it his entire being. The next second he blinked, they found themselves out of the sandstorm, flying above a vast expanse of deep green palm trees and pools of water glowing crystalline in the sunshine; the Oasis much larger than Kyungsoo had expected.

It was as if...they had _jumped_ between the sandstorm and the open sky within the cyclones and mana tunnels surrounding this place.

If it wasn't for how unexpectedly they had gotten out of the sandstorm, Kyungsoo would have appreciated the view but vertigo hit, fast and quick. Hydro, who hadn’t been prepared for the blink through space and who had fought the winds with everything he got, suddenly found himself without opposition. He shot straight towards the ground, wings flaring out madly to create powerful strokes to slow their landing. 

Despite that, they crashed to the ground in a little space between the trees, disturbing the peace the Oasis once knew. 

Hydro turned his head and snapped at Ryujin who snarled right back before haughtily turning her nose up at him. She wiggled and was out of Kyungsoo’s arms and the satchel, jumping daintily off the dragon’s back to sit on her haunches, wings tight to her body, still snobbing.

“Thanks, Ryujin,” Jongin said before shaking his head. “Just...a little warning next time before you circuit, alright?” 

Now the last time this had happened, Kyungsoo was too preoccupied with the shadow mages who had attacked out of nowhere. Therefore, he didn’t actually know what had occurred the moment Ryujin had appeared through the clouds, enveloping Jongin and him in her arms and wings. By the time he came to, he was already in the camp.

Jongin slid off the saddle and knelt down beside the white dragon and inspected the growing wound on her chest. It seemed slightly bigger than it was when they first left as if the strain on magic left a trigger. Frowning, he leveled a hard look at Ryujin. “No more circuiting unless _absolutely_ necessary, okay? Junmyeon said it was best if you don’t perform any kind of feats—magic or not—until we can get the cure.” 

Eventually, Ryujin nodded, hanging her head in defeat.

Satisfied, the rider turned back to Kyungsoo and looked at him expectantly. “Aren’t you getting down?”

Kyungsoo tried to move. He really did but his legs were frozen solid, clamped tightly on the saddle. He loosened his hands first, still in that death grip on the two spikes on Hydro’s neck, and flexed his fingers. Lifting a leg, he gingerly slid down on one side. His world tilted then and just as he was about to fall off, Jongin grabbed hold of him and steadied him.

“Careful now,” said the rider as he manhandled Kyungsoo off the saddle and placed him on the ground, unaware that doing so just made the world spin more for the hunter. “It's a little disorienting at first so take a deep breath—”

“ _What_ was that?” Kyungsoo stumbled, towards a nearby tree, straining to keep the little breakfast he had in.

“Circuiting.”

“ _Circui_ —” Kyungsoo whirled towards Jongin but regretted it immediately. The world turned once more and he felt the plain sandwich that Baekhyun made that morning start to come back up. Closing his eyes, he willed it to stay in. “We were—we were there, in that cyclone, and now all of a sudden, we’re _here_ . Below. _How?_ ”

Snorts sounded behind Jongin, catching Kyungsoo’s attention. He saw Ryujin’s haunches rising and falling. The damn beast dared to actually laugh at his sorry ass. He glared daggers at her. 

All she did was huff a blow at him in response before walking to brush up against Jongin, dismissing Kyungsoo entirely. Hydro on the other hand had gladly taken to minding his own business as he scanned the skies and the raging cyclones that bordered the Oasis, keeping things out of this place. There were no signs of the elven pair.

“Circuiting,” Jongin repeated. “Er…it's like flying but more convenient."

"Flying? Jongin, we literally blinked and now we're wherever this is on the Oasis. Last time I checked, we had an appointment with death in that cyclone." 

The damn bastard had the audacity to chuckle at him.

Kyungsoo perked up as he realized something. "Is it like shadow-stepping?" he asked when his mind finally settled back in his body. Shadow-stepping was a more advanced technique of shadow magic and it required a great deal of mana to execute such. "As in, we step into the shadow of one place and come out in another?"

Jongin thought for a moment. "Almost but not quite."

"Enlighten me then."

The rider hummed. "See, this world is connected by magic. It's everywhere—in the ground, the trees, the sky. Particles and essence that can never be seen by human eyes." 

Kyungsoo nodded. That, he knew. That was how depleted mana was replenished naturally. The air, the food, everything in this world was enriched with magic.

"Now think of that energy concentrated into threads, flowing from one end to another and back again in an endless loop—intersecting with one another or branching out. These loops—these heavily condensed mana, they serve as channels.” He scratched Ryujin under her chin. “And this one can tap into it, using that concentrated magic as a means of travel. It takes great strength and mana to get out of that sort of current though.”

“Huh." There were no other words for it. It was one thing for a dragon to know magic but it was another thing to see it do something out of the ordinary. Kyungsoo was still lost but he could see what Jongin was talking about. “And how do you know all this?”

“She told me.”

Before Kyungsoo could ask more, multiple blasts sounded from the flurry of sand and a column of fire blasted from up above them. Two figures shot out a column of wind and sand. Chanyeol’s monstrous fiery dragon roared as it spiraled out followed closely by Baekhyun’s. That’s when he realized the smaller snow-haired elf was holding golden orbs much as the one Junmyeon had given them.

They landed and the elf beamed brightly at them. “I can’t believe it worked!” just as Chanyeol yelled furiously, “Idiot! You don’t just go randomly throwing explosives in a cyclone!”

Kyungsoo and Jongin raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn’t say a word.

Baekhyun smiled smugly, wagging his finger in Chanyeol’s face. “Tut tut. That’s the key to it, my dear old silly Chanyeol who can’t live a little despite the centuries on your back.” 

“Watch it.”

He ignored the subtle threat. “Due to the highly condensed mana in these,” Baekhyun brandished four orbs in between his fingers, “and being prone to explosion because I do not have the time yet to make another prototype, this would create a temporary opening in the fluctuations with the static mana contained within. Just one won’t do though, you’re going to need a lot if you want that temporary gap to be large enough for Hugo and Kirin to pass hence all my throwing. After all, if you can’t fight power with power then you bring in even more power!”

 _I don’t think that’s the correct saying though._ Kyungsoo’s head spun from Baekhyun’s logic. He reckoned it would take him longer than a couple of centuries to even come close to the same wavelength as the eccentric elf.

Even Jongin seemed to have trouble understanding. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to find the words but instead settled, “Well, I’m glad you guys made it.”

Chanyeol just glared at the Baekhyun before sighing loudly as he looked towards the sky. “It _really_ is a godsdamn miracle you survived this long.”

"My elven senses are tingling."

The group had scoured the Oasis the last couple of days, leaving their dragons to rest or play in the clearing before the forest that covered the place, and had not seen any sign of the flower described in Junmyeon's memory orb. Certain conditions that had to be met for the flower to bloom, the elf Jongdae had theorized in his notes. 

The Oasis had already fit the first condition: the mana within the area had to either be controlled or stable. The second condition, the place had to be dark. 

The Oasis was pretty much flat with just enough vegetation for it to not be completely barren but it was vast. True to Junmyeon’s word, due to the enclosed environment of this place, a variety of species Kyungsoo hadn’t seen in the outside world could be found here There were butterflies whose wings shone a blue as bright as a summer sky but as they would flutter by, golden drops of powder would fall from their wings; frogs that changed colors as they croaked. Even the plants seemed to have been affected by the heavy concentration of mana that could be felt in this place.

It was likely though Kyungsoo would never feel the magic of this place with his own. He sighed, adjusting the manacle on his wrist.

They had still kept him cuffed but at least this time, he was free to roam around. They knew it was pointless to run away now when all it would do is get you trapped in this place especially when you had no magic to aid you. Baekhyun’s invention was one hell of an annoyance. Then again, Kyungsoo was smart enough not to try his luck against Chanyeol who kept one eye on Kyungsoo the entire time, his right hand twitching again towards the saber on his waist.

“Yup,” piped up Baekhyun as he shook his hands. “They are definitely tingling.”

“Are we supposed to understand what that means?” asked Kyungsoo warily. With Baekhyun, he didn’t know what kind of answer he would be getting. “The last time you ‘tingled’, it turned out you just had to go.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Jongin turn away, biting his lip.

Chanyeol huffed beside Baekhyun but otherwise ignored the smaller elf’s theatrics as he wiggled his fingers or opened and closed his fists at the sensation he felt. Apparently, the taller was still annoyed with the golden orb incident from before. Baekhyun paid him no mind as well but a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.

“I’m telling you this time it’s different. They’re telling me…” Baekhyun paused before pointing at the temple door before them, grinning, “...that this is definitely the place!”

The only place their group had not checked was the ancient stone temple ruins hidden in the heart of the Oasis. They had stumbled upon the place when Ryujin bounded off Jongin and went straight to drink from the pool of glistening clear water that shone beside it. It was partially hidden beneath all the plants, the sandstone and moss blending the building so well into the background. That’s when they realized that the stone and the pool were once part of an outdoor courtyard of the temple, the rock beneath them etched with intricate patterns hidden beneath the undergrowth.

Eight pillars led to the doorless entrance, half of which were in the process of crumbling or had already fallen. Shadows danced in places beyond the light, silently beckoning them to enter and find the secrets hidden within. Kyungsoo could see some language written on the stone above the doorway but age and external elements had rubbed away most of what was written, giving them no clue as to what the temple was or who it belonged to.

“It’s marked as gray on Junmyeon’s map.” Jongin furrowed his brows slightly when he pulled out the memory orb given to him by the demi-elf and read through the piece of parchment that appeared. “And none of Jongdae’s records mentioned this temple. I think this means we shouldn’t enter this place.”

It glowed and the magic within painted a tiny map of the Oasis on Jongin’s palm. It wasn’t the first time Kyungsoo had seen the orb at work but he was still left speechless at the complexity of such a device and how it worked so perfectly despite the risk of explosion. Light magic was another rare form of the inherent elementals and to think it was Baekhyun who possessed such power. 

But Kyungsoo had to agree with Jongin. They shouldn’t enter such unknown places with little information. Even he could feel the difference in the mana concentrated here, like some sort of beast was sleeping in the midst of it all. It was more prominent, ancient, and unknown...yet Ryujin wrenched her way out of her satchel and stared intensely at the temple.

“See? Even Ryujin agrees.” Baekhyun gestured widely with his hands. “This is where we can find that drakosthing—”

“Drakosphillia,” interjected Chanyeol despite himself.

“Yeah, that,” said Baekhyun with a triumphant grin as if he had somehow silently won a bet. “It definitely has to be here.” He stepped out to move towards the entrance but Jongin and Chanyeol held out a hand for him to stop.

“Wait. There’s a magical array on the ground.” Jongin bent down to inspect the ridges and symbols etched into the earth. It was huge, spanning the courtyard where they stood and beyond. “We have to be careful where we step. We don’t know what might trigger it.”

“Oh ye of little faith.” Baekhyun boldly pushed his way through, stepping right into the circle. Kyungsoo faltered, finding himself reaching for the elf just like the others but it was too late.

“Baekhyun—!” 

But nothing happened. The Oasis was just as quiet as the second they entered it.

“See?" The elf laughed. "Perfectly safe and the tingle’s still there.”

“Idiot!” Chanyeol fumed, grabbing for Baekhyun who darted away on light feet. “Do you crave death that much? I’m willing to lend a hand if you’re that unsatisfied, you damn bastard!"

The smaller elf rolled his eyes. “You’re all overreacting. Especially you, my dear Chanyeol. Of course, I knew nothing would happen. Look.” He pointed towards an unknowing crane on the far side of the temple. “That bird’s had one foot on the array ever since we got here. If it was triggered by something that moved into its area of effect, something would have happened to that by now, right? Either that or something long ago had already did which is why it’s harmless now. Besides, if someone in the past had set up this complicated array, then doesn’t that mean there’s something precious in that temple?”

“And on the other hand,” added Kyungsoo quietly. “It could also mean the array hasn’t activated yet and is trying to keep something in.” 

If there was one thing he had learned as a hunter, encountering the occasional ancient temple in a mission was more likely to be bad news than good.

Jongin sighed as he turned the orb in his hand and activated the magic that stored the information about the Oasis. Ancient texts appeared in a glowing golden light. Once again, Kyungsoo had to admire the ingenuity of such an invention. Baekhyun was definitely equal parts an idiot and a genius rolled into one.

“No mention of what this temple contains,” said Chanyeol with a frown as he read over Jongin's shoulder.

Baekhyun grinned excitedly. “All the more reason to check it out. Who knows what we’ll find.”

If there was one thing Kyungsoo had realized in his time with the riders was that he should _never_ let Baekhyun’s elven senses decide where they should go next.

It only took fifteen minutes—fifteen solid minutes of complete peace—for Baekhyun to trigger an array. The elf had traipsed so confidently in front of the others, walking backward as he waved his hands about, before he tripped on a rock, fell on his butt, and pushed a stone down. It glowed.

Baekhyun looked at them, completely wide-eyed. “Oops.”

In the next second, a hole opened up beneath, plunging them into the temple’s darkness.

"Byun Baekhyun!" Chanyeol roared. He moved towards the flailing elf, reaching for him. Whether it was to instinctively grab onto him or to choke him for being such an idiot, Kyungsoo didn’t know.

The darkness below loomed up.

“Shit." 

Despite it all, he found himself reaching for his own rider again as they fell. It was the second death scare this week and Kyungsoo still felt that instinctive protective streak he so desperately tried to bury rise up within him once more.

The hole turned into a tunnel, splitting off into two different directions. Chanyeol and Baekhyun slid to one side, both elves bickering, while he and Jongin fell into the other. At some point, Ryujin had wrenched herself out from her satchel and nipped at Jongin's leathers to try and grab ahold of him. All she managed to do was slow their descent as they slid through the rocks. They tumbled together, Jongin locking his arms around Kyungsoo to keep them from getting separated, and rolled into a huge chamber underground. Even with those precautions, Kyungsoo still banged his injured leg on the ground and the pain rattled his teeth.

When the world finally righted, Kyungsoo found himself slightly on top of Jongin, those piercing hazel eyes scanning him.

“You okay, Soo?” he asked as he moved to get up. "How's your leg?"

"It's fine, nothing I can't handle." Kyungsoo scrambled back immediately, wincing slightly as he gingerly rolled his weight to the left. “Just remind me to never trust that elf again.”

He glanced at Ryujin who landed beside them. She growled slightly at Kyungsoo but cast her worried eyes back at her rider. 

Jongin scratched behind her ear to reassure her as he chuckled, the sound low and husky. “Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time it’s happened.” Kyungsoo raised a brow at that. “Trust me, there are worse. Even more so for Chanyeol who has already been through a century with him.”

Kyungsoo sighed. “Doesn’t change the fact we absolutely have no idea where we are.” He glared at his cuffed wrists. The one time his magic would have been incredibly useful was the one time he didn’t have it. “We should have removed this before we entered.”

They looked around the chamber that they had fallen in. There wasn't any source of light in this dark place but the air in the tunnel was cold. Pulling out the golden orb from before, the faint light magic that had stored the ancient texts and map cast their surroundings in a warm glow just enough for them to see. Kyungsoo studied the walls were damp, moss growing in the cracks where water had moistened the rock enough. 

"Can we circuit out of this place?" Kyungsoo asked.

Jongin murmured to Ryujin and they watched as the tiny dragon closed its eyes and—nothing. She stayed in place, huffing in frustration.

Jongin frowned. "Another array has been set up for circuiters. It seems that we can't just leave this place so easily."

Getting up they followed the only entrance into a corridor as it started inclining up to another chamber. Two doorways opened up before them, halting them momentarily.

Ryujin, who had found her way back into her satchel, poked her head out once more when they stopped. Sniffing, she turned to the right and mewled. Kyungsoo glanced at Jongin and shrugged before heading towards the path she pointed. Junmyeon’s orb didn’t have anything detailed about the temple which meant they had headed into this thing completely blind. The rock beneath Kyungsoo’s foot started to glisten and as he touched the wall, wetness met his open palm.

As they walked, the corridor seemed to grow brighter until the path climbed again and this time it opened up to a high-ceilinged chamber. To their left was an underground river that ran through a tunnel in the walls while on their left was a wall of weapons and treasures. In the middle was a raised dais holding a slab of perfectly cut stone with a sword embedded on the top. Upon closer look, the white surface was etched with more of that ancient language written on the side but this time, time had not withered it away. The chamber itself was different, more refined for a place long since aged to dust.

Kyungsoo glanced around, wondering how it was possible there was so much light underground. A moment later, glints of silver caught his attention from up above and he realized mirrors were reflecting the light from all the way outside into this place.

Jongin moved towards the center where the stone dais lay. “It looks like we stumbled into a tomb.”

On the walls were vases of gold, and piles of precious gems as well as weapons of various sizes displayed all dusted with layers upon layers of the dust of a thousand years. Whoever was buried here must’ve been a rich general or prince of some long lost country.

“This is of elven make,” said the rider as he gazed at the sword in its sheath, the white-bone pommel elegantly carved, and white rock dais before jutting his chin towards the symbols etched on the sword. “But that isn’t their language.”

Kyungsoo came up beside Jongin. The shining beams of light seemed to cascade upon its scabbard, showcasing the intricate design etched on it. There must’ve been some kind of magic over it as it was preserved wonderfully, without any signs of depreciation on the surface.

Jongin studied the sword, quiet intrigue and admiration in his eyes.

Kyungsoo turned away, forcing himself not to stare at Jongin and how it reminded him of all those times in the past when they would go on missions together and he’d show the same face when he’d find something he liked.

Just then, he caught a glimmer in the dark in the corner of the room. It shimmered slightly and Kyungsoo broke away from Jongin to check it out. Crossing across the room, to where a pair of vases hid it in a small crevice of shadows, Kyungsoo found a cluster of tiny flowers shaped like teardrops. The petals were a yellow so pale they looked white in this mirrored light yet veins of silver ran through the blooms. 

It was unusual and would definitely catch the eye of anyone who would come through here. There weren’t a lot of blooms but it was a miracle they managed to grow in...

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo called, the gears in his brain turning. “I think you need to see this.”

As Jongin pulled himself away from the stone slab, Ryujin wrestled her way out of her satchel once more and hopped to where the flowers were. She sniffed one, wagging her tail eagerly as she glanced back at Jongin. Kyungsoo reached out but he was hesitant to touch it. 

“I think...this is the one you’re looking for.” As his fingers brushed against the yellow petal that glistened like starlight, Kyunsoo’s leg throbbed and the subtle pain eased away. There was no doubt about it now. This was the drakosphillia flower.

Jongin reached into the satchel and pulled out a tiny pouch. “Here,” he said, offering it to Kyungsoo. “Let’s take a few more. Just in case.”

After sealing the pouch with the flowers inside and securing it back within Ryujin’s satchel as the tiny dragon had gone back to perching the rider’s back, Jongin and Kyungsoo straightened to turn back to the chamber—

And found themselves staring at yellow slitted eyes that glowed in the river tunnel from across the room.

“Don’t move until I say so.”

Jongin didn’t have to tell him twice. A massive horned serpent slowly slid out of the tunnel, water sloshing against its black-green scales. Its head was as big as a grown man’s body, fangs as long as Kyungsoo’s arms. He didn’t want to know how long this guy was as it continued to fill the chamber.

“When the coast is clear, run to the array above the dais; where one of the mirrored light is shining on.”

Kyungsoo flashed his eyes incredulously at the rider who slightly moved to step in front of Kyungsoo. He wasn’t thinking about doing what he thought he’d do, right?

No, he wouldn't, right? The Jongin now was different from the boy five years ago. His insane reckless behavior _couldn’t_ be the same. If that was what’ll play out—

“I’ll handle the snake.” 

Kyungsoo was dumbstruck. “Jongin—!” He whispered through gritted teeth. 

No, it was pointless to try convincing the rider that they should leave together. This person had a bad rep of always attacking, always being the distraction while his team made it out safely. Five years and apparently Jongin was still the idiot he knew who would jump in front of people to save them from danger.

The serpent hissed, studying its prey. It moved slowly, going the length of the chamber, blocking the only entrance in this place. It was smart and definitely _hungry_. Kyungsoo didn’t know how long it’s been trapped here but he wasn’t sticking long enough to find out.

He shifted his foot—

It struck.

But the Kyungsoo was a second faster. He pulled Jongin’s sword out of its sheath and sliced down on the snake with all his might. It managed to dodge the attack for the most part but now a deep gash on its neck leaking blood adorned its body. It bore out its fangs and before Kyungsoo could move, it released some kind of grey haze out of its nostrils.

“Shit!” Jongin grabbed Kyungsoo and ran with him, heading for the array he was talking about. “It’s a memory snake—! Don’t breathe it in!”

Too late, he felt the world blur out. And as they faded, the words of Siwon from a lesson about creatures of myth from so long ago rang in his ear.

_The only way out, when caught by this snake, is if you cut off its head._

Kyungsoo blinked and found himself surrounded by smoke. Flashes of light flickered beyond the haze before it cleared up and a familiar scene arose before him.

He was in the Arena back in Antiqa. 

Kyungsoo looked around. An open-air coliseum with the bleachers at the top surrounded them, looking into the pit. It was high enough that no one could climb out and wide enough for the viewers to see everything that was going inside. This was mainly for entertainment purposes or for events as big as the Rites where the trainees were given a chance to show their worth to be part of the Guild.

Right beside him was a young Kim Jongin holding one of the swords left over in the Arena. 

Taken aback for a moment, Kyungsoo searched around for some kind of explanation and caught sight of the banner hanging over the bleachers that looked out into the open pit. 

_The 52nd Hunting Rites_.

This was almost two years after they had arrived at the capital and had decided to join the Guild. 

He remembered this—this was when Jongin had been thrown into the pit and Kyungsoo had jumped in after him to save him yet again. It was highly unfortunate for them that the Guild had captured a young dragon for the Rites that year and was going to use it as an example for the other trainees-to-be. 

He remembered Siwon and Taeyeon had also come to help them get out of the pit but at this point in the memory, they were still too far away. 

“See if you can get out of there, peasant!” A teen from above had jeered at them. His friends all laughed with him. They had been the ones to throw Jongin in.

He was a legacy—one born of noble hunter families and who joined the Hunting Rites in hopes of continuing their family business. There were quite a few whose predecessors have been hunters since the Guild was first established, training their later descendants to wield a sword, a bow, or their own magic as soon as they could walk. Wu Yifan was a prime example of a son born from two prestigious hunters of the first few generations even if his family line had been hunters for longer than that.

“Kyungsoo!” It was Kim Jongin, the one from nine years ago, who yelled at him but it most definitely sounded like the cold rider of the future. “Snap out of it! Wake up!”

Too late, Kyungsoo was taken by the memory. He watched himself grab a dented sword from the ground and rush at the young gray dragon that struck at them. He saw Jongin move beside him. He remembered that in just a few seconds, they would perform one of their best kills and the same one that immediately earned them the right to become hunters.

However, the Jongin now who was running beside him was shouting at him to _stop, to not get caught in the memory_.

Kyungsoo blinked and stumbled through the mist. He fell and watched as the haze swirled again. He hated this—hated that he didn’t know how to escape from this.

Memories of the past flashed before his eyes. Nine years' worth of them blurred together as if the haze was searching for something specific. He saw some of his teams come and go; Yixing and Sehun and the thousands of conversations he had with them whizzed past him before fading. He watched his missions, watched just how he had killed the creatures he had been tasked to find...and felt a tug at his heart.

The scenes faded before he could even analyze what that meant and this time Kyungsoo found himself facing yet another dragon. Its scales were a mix of white and grey that shone like early morning light and from the shape and build, Kyungsoo could tell she was a female. A harpoon made of shadows was lodged in her chest and from the way her blood spilled out, it had hit a vital spot.

He remembered this mission though not as well as the first memory in the Arena where it had changed everything for him and Jongin. They were in a mountain forest in the north of Elyx, near the borders of the Northern Wastes. It was a mission from five or six years ago and one Jongin had been the captain of.

It was their worst one as a team—not only had too many hunters been injured that day but the worst part was that the dragon had gotten away.

He saw Jongin standing frozen before the dragon sword raised above him. It roared, its wings flaring out. It looked almost familiar...as if he was staring at Ryujin from five years ago but that wasn’t possible. She couldn’t have been the dragon that appeared before them. She was much too young.

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo heard himself shout at the other hunter but these were his words from the past. “What are you doing? _Finish her!_ ”

But Kyungsoo saw Jongin hesitate and watched the dragon turn around and fly away.

The scene ended again and this time the gray haze brought him to another familiar scene—one he definitely did not want to live through again whether it was a memory, dream, or reality.

He stood again on that cliff of Canyeone, the black monstrous dragon of his nightmares with eyes of purple fire roaring its rage. Rain and lightning surrounded him, the purple liquid and flowery scent of the dragonsbane filled the air. 

_Stop it!_

However, it was as if the haze had finally settled in his senses, as if it had finally found a memory worthy of being trapped in. It felt more real this time: the rain pouring down on them, the soft ground of the cliff that looked like it might crumble any second and the ear-piercing roar the black dragon gave as the dragonsbane messed with its mind. Kyungsoo’s gut settled with the same fear he had felt all those years ago. He tried to force himself out of this memory. No, he can’t see this. Not again. He had to get out.

“ _Soo!_ ”

The voice was faint. He turned to see Jongin running towards him again in slow motion. _No no no._

“ _Snap out of it! Don’t let it get to you!”_

 _No,_ _this time he_ would not _watch Jongin die._

Kyungsoo forced himself to run towards the other—forced his body that had been rigged and locked in the memory haze—to get to Jongin before the black dragon could even move. He ran, dragging heavy feet over heavy feet but still he ran.

The tail shot out towards them—

But he had already tackled Jongin into the trees, further inland than the edge of the cliff. The dragon roared, furious that it had lost its prey but its focus was now on someone else.

The memory had been completely thrown off.

Jongin sighed beneath him. “Finally,” he said, pulling Kyungsoo close. He knew then that somehow, this was the rider of the future. Piercing hazel eyes glowed in the dark—two tiny suns bringing the light of dawn—and seared deep into Kyungsoo's soul. He couldn't look away even if he tried. “You came to me on your own accord.”

With quick ease, Jongin flipped him over and dipped his head towards Kyungsoo’s neck.

“Jongin?” Kyungsoo blinked in shock. “What—?”

“Sorry about this,” he murmured before biting down _hard_.

The hunter blinked his eyes open to the cavern ceiling filled with mirrors.

Jongin pulled back, his eyes still faintly glowing, and sighed in relief. They were behind the slab of stone on the raised dais. Kyungsoo heard crashes and roars on the other side but first, he focused on the rider before him, searching for some kind of wound.

Satisfied that the other didn’t seem to be hurt anywhere, he got up and found himself unexpectedly closer to Jongin than he thought. The rider had not moved away.

“Er…” Kyungsoo scooted back. What can he say in this kind of situation? “Thanks, Jongin...for getting me out.” Pain shot out immediately on his neck. He touched the spot gingerly. “Ow. Wait, did you really _bite me_?”

“It was either that or get stabbed,” Jongin replied coolly, looking away. His eyes had not given away anything but Kyungsoo caught the tips of his ears burning a faint red. “And I'd rather have you in fighting condition when we face that.”

Another roar sounded and that’s when Kyungsoo realized Ryujin wasn’t in her satchel. He looked over the stone and saw the white dragon in a bigger form holding the line and fiercely fighting the mottled green snake—snapping at it and clawing at its eyes when it would try to strike at them. On the ground beneath them was Baekhyun’s silver sealing necklace, broken in pieces.

The poison—

“It was the only way,” said Jongin, understanding the worried look the hunter threw his way. “We just need to move faster and take that thing down so that we can get out of here.” He turned to Kyungsoo, locking those piercing hazel eyes on him again. “Just please...please don’t rush out so recklessly again. I don’t know if I’d be able to save you a second time.”

Kyungsoo leveled him with his own. “I won’t rush out if you don’t go dealing with situations again on your own.”

Jongin was quiet for a moment but eventually, he nodded. “Alright.”

“Now,” Kyungsoo rolled his shoulder. “Got an extra sword?”

The rider handed him his own—the same golden sword, its pommel shaped as a rose—that he had grabbed earlier when he slashed at the snake. Kyungsoo had spent more years holding a sword than wielding his magic. Being cuffed and magically-handicapped was nothing to him.

Jongin, on the other hand, pulled out the other sword that had been embedded on the slab of stone; the sound of steel sliced through the air and the white steel blade was clearly of elven make. He glanced at Kyungsoo.

“Let’s do this.”

The two of them worked effortlessly together to Kyungsoo’s surprise. Some kind of hidden instinct or maybe the natural rhythm of the years they had spent fighting together side by side rose up again in that underground chamber and for the first time in a really long time, Kyungsoo felt at home once more as Jongin fought beside him.

Where Jongin slashed down, Kyungsoo was there following with another strike. And after both hunters had given their blows, Ryujin was up, batting and snapping at the snake. She morphed, turning back into her pocket-size and flew up to its head where she rained even more chaos upon it. The snake thrashed, struggling to get Ryujin off of it. But Jongin’s little dragon was clever. She nipped at its eyes and scratched madly where she could reach and as the snake tried to smack its head against the cavern walls, she dodged out of the way.

The snake itself fought back and caught hold of Ryujin. It bit down on her arm and Kyungsoo immediately slashed at the creature, causing it to let go.

“Jongin!” He yelled. “Let Ryujin stop fighting. Her wound's started to get worse.” Kyungsoo slashed at the snake again, refusing it even a single second to breathe. If he stopped for even just a moment, it would attack again with its memory haze and maybe this time, they wouldn’t be so lucky.

The rider whistled for his dragon and she immediately flew towards him. Jongin cursed when he saw the wound on her arm but it was the dragonsbane veins that were of greater concern. They had started to spread once again. “Stay out for now, Ryu,” he said, putting his forehead on hers. “We’ll be done before you know it, okay?”

And maybe it was Kyungsoo imagining things once again, but he swore something in Jongin’s eyes glowed again.

The snake struck again and Kyungsoo cursed as he dodged it. He slashed down again on its tough scales but the creature avoided him. They had to do something if they wanted to get out but the entrance was on the other side.

“Soo, switch!”

In the next second, Jongin rushed past him and stabbed at its neck. With a roar, Jongin pushed and plunged his sword deeper into its neck. The snake hissed madly but Kyungsoo had already jumped and swung down with all his strength, dealing the killing blow. 

The head lopped cleanly off, blood spraying on all of them.

It was silent for a second before Jongin sighed and said, “Everyone good?”

“Yeah,” replied Kyungsoo as sweat and blood dripped down his face. “Just—”

The temple suddenly trembled, rock and debris falling from above. Something glowed on the body of the snake next; a myriad of symbols and characters Kyungsoo didn't recognize.

" _Get back!_ "

He didn't have to be told twice. Jongin and Kyungsoo dashed behind the stone casket just as the array expanded beyond the snake and released the compressed mana from within. The explosion rattled the entire cavern, all the way to the foundations of the temple.

The entire cavern rumbled and tiny little fissures spiderwebbed through the walls, turning into cracks. The ground beneath them shook.

Kyungsoo cursed.

This place was going to fall.


	5. Chapter 5

“Kyungsoo, Ryujin. Over here.” 

Jongin pulled them to the tiny circle of runes he had pointed out earlier that had mirrored light shining down upon it. He thrust the satchel of flowers and Ryujin into Kyungsoo’s hands and pushed them into the array. It began to glow. 

“It's a light array,” Jongin said reassuringly. “It works just like circuiting. It'll beam you all out of here.”

"What—"

Ryujin growled defiantly, realizing that Jongin was going to stay behind. She fought her way out of Kyungsoo’s arms, not caring that blood leaked out from the wound on her arm and the ominous one on her chest. 

A barrier stopped her.

“You idiot!” Kyungsoo roared. _No no no._ He pounded on the hard wall of light that separated him from the rider, frustration boiling up again from within. “What do you think you’re doing playing the hero again all by yourself?! I thought we'd do this together. Stop being so reckless! Let us out, Jongin!”

But Jongin stepped back as the light in the array glowed brighter. “Only one person can go at a time, Soo. That was the condition set up by whoever created this temple and left this creature to guard it. It was also why they had drawn that array on its body. This was all—” 

"—to make sure no one got out of here alive." Kyungsoo finished for him.

Jongin nodded but gave him a small reassuring smile despite the temple falling around them. “But don't worry. I’ll be up there before you even know it. You guys go first.” 

“Jongin—!”

Too late, the light shone and Kyungsoo circuited out from under the temple. 

But just before Jongin and the underground chamber completely faded out, a tiny fissure raced unknowingly before the rider, hitting just the edge of the array and destroying it.

Kyungsoo blinked— 

And found himself in a patch of afternoon sun beside the shining body of water that morning. They had appeared a little ways away from where they first happened across the temple. The moment Kyungsoo’s feet touched the solid ground of the Oasis, he bolted straight to the entrance.

_No no no. Not again. Not like this._

Just as he passed the first pillar, light blasted up from the forest on his left, and out came Chanyeol, flying through the trees as he propelled himself with his explosive fire magic. The elf was roaring, completely furious.

“I’m gonna kill that bastard!” He locked onto Kyungsoo and Ryujin and the satchel he was holding and seeing that Jongin wasn’t around, flew straight towards him. “You! Where do you think you’re going?”

Before Kyungsoo could even begin to explain himself, he was knocked back into a pillar with a saber pressed up against his throat. 

“Wait,” he gasped, throat bobbing. He felt the blade cut in slightly, a thin line of blood dripping out. “Jongin’s still inside. We have to help him!”

Chanyeol glared at him for a moment but hesitation appeared in those eyes. Ryujin nipped at his jacket, pulling him towards the temple. Even she was frustrated at the rider. It was another full minute before Chanyeol finally pulled back. He flicked his saber away and glared at the temple’s entrance. Quietly, he said, “Baekhyun’s in there, too.”

Kyungsoo immediately understood. "Did he use a light array in the temple? Did you see it crack after he made you use it?" It was the only explanation he could think of and how Chanyeol ended up here all by himself without the other. 

The elf grunted, his eyebrows furrowing as he nodded.

Kyungsoo cursed under his breath. Bad. This was really bad. “I think another array gets triggered once someone uses the first one. It wouldn’t have cracked so fast if that wasn’t the case.”

Chanyeol clenched his fist before stalking towards the entrance. “Seriously, when he comes back out, I’m going to kill that damn bastard.”

Suddenly the ground rumbled and Kyungsoo watched in horror as rocks and debris from the temple began falling. The temple was sinking and there was still no sign of Jongin and Baekhyun.

He had to do something. Quickly.

Kyungsoo glanced at his cuffs. Maybe...just maybe.

“Take these off.”

Jongin had said he had to ask the fiery elf. He could only assume it was because Baekhyun had enchanted the cuffs so that only he or Chanyeol could unlock it. If there was anything he could do, this was it.

The rider looked at him as if Kyungsoo had grown a second head before sneering. “You may have fooled Baekhyun and Kai but you can’t fool me, _hunter_. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re really after.”

He spat the word ‘hunter’ as if it was a curse. Kyungsoo glared at the elf, hands shaking in anger and disbelief. How could this fool still act like this in this kind of situation? Over a hundred years old, he should know better than Kyungsoo by now that this was not the time for that at all.

“If you don’t, they will die.” Kyungsoo bit out through gritted teeth. “Do what you want with me after but first, let me help them. Don’t let your own foolishness be the cause of their demise. Take these off!”

The ground beneath them shook and Kyungsoo watched as the entrance of the hidden temple sank lower. A few more columns in the courtyard fell as well as pieces of the roof and walls. If they didn’t do something now, it would be too late and the others would be buried beneath the pile of rubble.

_“Chanyeol!”_

With a roar of fury, the elf lashed out at him, swinging down the saber with such force the blade glowed scarlet. Kyungsoo instinctively raised his hands to block the strike, flinching his eyes close at the hit. 

_Clunk clunk_. 

In the next second, a cool breeze kissed his skin as the silvery metal on both his wrists fell to the ground and the force that filled him was a dam finally breaking. Kyungsoo felt the familiar surge of his magic fill his being once again.

"Don't make me regret this," said Chanyeol with deathly quiet.

Kyungsoo nodded. He wouldn’t. 

He rushed towards the entrance that had already halfway descended into the ground. The ceiling just about touched his crown now as the foundations beneath it sank. Placing his hand on either side above his head, he strained, pushing every bit of renewed magic into his hands to _stop_ it.

The temple groaned. 

However, it was stubborn and it refused to listen to him. Whatever ancient magic array that was placed on this as some kind of trap was beyond the known magic Kyungsoo knew and practiced. It attacked him as soon as he touched the crumbling earthen ceiling of the entrance, forcing his magic to retreat. He could _feel_ the temple come to life and die as the magic that had kept this place standing for millennia receded and dispersed, causing holes in the structure to form. Mana fluctuations in various degrees of intensity and magnitude pounded him on all sides, making it almost impossible to control his own power. 

It was as if the temple would not allow itself to be stopped for even just a second. All Kyungsoo could do was slow it down enough to buy Jongin and Baekhyun enough time to get out.

Kyungsoo gritted his teeth and he pushed against the temple’s magic once more, weaving his own to strengthen the holes for just a few more minutes. He could already feel the southern part of the temple collapse just out of his range of control. He urged his magic once more, to try and find them—

A myriad of golden threads suddenly appeared before his eyes: a map of the temple painted by the mana flowing through the earth. It had been a while since he saw this and he couldn't help but utter a cry of relief.

_Where were they? Where were they? Where were they?_

He searched desperately for the two dots of golden light weaving within the threads.

 _There_. He breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the gods. They were alive. They were just too far from each other. 

Kyungsoo cursed under his breath as he felt his control slip for a tiny second before regaining it. _How?_ _How_ can he get them to reach the entrance with minimum difficulty? He racked his brain, searching. Just as one light was about to take the wrong turn, Kyungsoo reached out with his magic—and stopped.

Instead, he pulled back his magic and strengthened the right path. The temple could do his work for him. He felt the wrong corridor collapse on its own, causing the light to take his instead. Kyungsoo grinned. _Yes_ , this was how he was going to do it.

Hallway after hallway, incline after incline, Kyungsoo only manipulated the paths that would lead to the entrance. The rest, he gave the ancient magic its freedom. Whatever traps that had been rigged all over the place had all been destroyed as the temple shattered through their arrays so all that mattered now was the straight path back to the entrance. 

The first bright light was now only a couple hundred meters away from them and the second not that far behind. They could make it. 

Kyungsoo’s knees shook. Close. They were so close.

It felt like hours for Kyungsoo who held up the temple but in reality, it was only ten minutes. Jongin and Baekhyun moved fast...but it was still not enough.

The temple groaned above Kyungsoo and in the next second, he felt the east crumble first followed by the west moment later. The deterioration was faster now as if the temple was angered it had been tricked. He couldn’t hold the temple up much longer.

A streak of white ran shot past him. He risked a glance back and saw Baekhyun completely covered in dust and grime jump straight into Chanyeol’s open arms. 

All that was left now was Jongin. 

_Where are you?_

The rider in question turned the corner at the end of the corridor, running as fast as his legs could carry him. Kyungsoo’s knees almost sagged in relief but at that second, the temple pushed out of his hold and began collapsing behind Jongin. Rock after rock fell behind him, cracks and fissures appeared nipping at his feet as they raced against the rider, trying to drown him in the darkness below.

“Run!” He yelled, Ryujin roaring behind him as well. “Faster, Jongin! I can’t—”

Jongin was only a few meters away now but the ancient magic finally broke loose from Kyungsoo’s control and he watched in horror as the ceiling and walls crumbled faster than Jongin could run.

A moment later, the ground followed suit and a giant chasm opened up between them.

Kyungsoo held out his hand, hanging past the edge with one hand on the door frame. “Jump!”

Jongin, who had not stopped moving on sure feet despite the uneven ground, sped up, gaining momentum, and at just before the verge of the hole that fell into darkness, leaped will all his might.

He reached out his hand towards Kyungsoo’s—and _almost_ missed it by just a hairsbreadth. Kyungsoo reached out those extra millimeters and grabbed hold of the hand. At the force of Jongin’s jump, it took every strength in his body to hold on to the other who hung suspended in mid-air. Without his magic holding up the rest of the temple, the ancient place finally fell to pieces around them.

“I got you,” Kyungsoo gasped. “I got you.”

“I know,” Jongin replied, squeezing the other’s hand reassuringly. 

However before they could even have a chance to breathe, the rock beneath Kyungsoo’s hand collapsed and the entrance fell. He couldn’t activate what little magic he had left fast enough as in the next second, he was completely airborne as the ground fell away. 

He heard Ryujin cry out in alarm just as he yelled, “Jongin—!”

They dropped but just as the last of the ledge fell away, two strong hands grabbed hold of Kyungsoo’s outstretched one and _pulled_ both Jongin and him forcefully back—throwing both of them right onto the safe solid ground outside the temple. An array appeared above the temple, lighting up once before it faded, and with it, the ancient structure finally crumbled into dust and ruin.

Kyungsoo propped himself up on an elbow to see Chanyeol standing before them, breathing hard. The elf glared at him, daring him to say a word, before he turned back to tenderly attend to Baekhyun who was still lying flat on the ground, gasping for breath. 

_Debt paid_ , the words were as clear as day in the space between them.

Kyungsoo couldn’t dwell on such thoughts though as he scrambled up to Jongin’s side who, too, rolled onto his back, panting. “That was close,” Jongin closed his eyes. “Way too close.”

Ryujin bounded up to them. She whimpered at her rider, worry evident in her amethyst eyes. He reached out to pat her head reassuringly.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” asked Kyungsoo, scanning for any signs of hidden injury. He didn’t care that he showed more worry than he ought to.

Jongin raised an eyebrow in surprise at that but still answered, “I’m good. Nothing I can’t handle.” He threw Kyungsoo’s words right back at him. Glancing at Kyungsoo’s manacle-free wrist, he put two and two together and turned those soft hazel eyes flecked with lights of gold at Kyungsoo and whispered, “You saved us. Thank you.”

A crushing sense of relief, even stronger than the surge of his returned magic power, came over Kyungsoo but before he could turn his body away, he collapsed on top of the rider. This time, for some reason, he didn’t mind. Then again, he couldn’t move his body even if he wanted to. Muscle fatigue, the beginning signs of a magic burnout, spread throughout his arms and back. He had consumed through his mana reserves too fast, too quickly just as it had come back in his desperation to keep the temple up. Yet he didn't mind at all if it meant...

He looked up at the sharp distinct jawline of the rider, his beating heart thundering in Kyungsoo’s ears. He didn’t think he would be able to hear that so clearly again in this life. 

_They’d made it._ _Again, somehow._

“I can see why they call you the great Earth-shaker.”

“Idiot.” Kyungsoo couldn’t help but say, as he punched Jongin’s chest but it ended up more like a weak slap. “Completely reckless idiot.”

A small pat on his back answered him. The rider chuckled, “Now when have I never heard that before.”

~°~

Kyungsoo had never been more grateful for Ryujin’s ability than he was now.

After Jongin had tended to her wound caused by the memory snake, she circuited the lot of them out of the Oasis. Her rider had protested at first but after she had insisted, growled her defiance at him and pointedly looked at the state their group was in, he conceded. Transmitting them to the field outside the desert they had seen before that was filled with boulders of various sizes, riders and dragons alike collapsed onto the soft grass, completely exhausted. 

Unknowingly, the ancient mana within had messed with their own and the effects didn’t show until after they got out, leaving them drained. 

Kyungsoo gleaned up at the shadows of the Canyeone ridges that loomed behind them, towering and impending like sleeping giants waiting to be woken up. It brought some semblance of comfort, knowing that they were definitely out of that godsdamn temple.

“We made it!” Baekhyun weakly pumped his fists in the air before he fell heavily on Kirin’s saddle. “Oh sweet blue sky, I thought I would never see you again!”

“No thanks to you,” growled Chanyeol. Baekhyun rolled his eyes at that and this led to another round of bickering between the two riders. They hadn’t stopped since Jongin had gotten out and if Kyungsoo had to say it, they reminded him of an old married couple. 

“Good job, girl, you did well.” Jongin rubbed Ryujin behind the ears. “Thank you for getting us out. We’ll let Junmyeon treat that wound as soon as we get back, alright?”

Ryujin panted and then nodded sleepily as she settled back into her satchel. 

“We’ll camp here tonight,” said Chanyeol. No one objected. They could all use a few hours of rest before the long flight back to Junmyeon as Ryujin had already wiped herself out. “The night and the boulder beasts around here will keep us hidden enough but we’ll have to leave before the dawn rises.”

Again, no one protested and each began setting up camp.

Kyungsoo glanced around where a few gigantic boulders were embedded on the ground, scattered amongst the others. When their group appeared, what shocked Kyungsoo the most was when what he thought were just ordinary stones were actually animals that woke up. And upon seeing Kirin, Hydro, and Hugo land on the field, they squeaked and hastily rolled away. Immediately after, the rest of the boulders did the same, clearing out the field. It surprised Kyungsoo more than another circuit trip.

Boulder beasts, that’s what they were called and true to their name were gentle beasts that disguised themselves as boulders. They had tough skin, as hard as rock, but were quite agile on their little boulder legs. He had read about them in books back when he was training to become a hunter but had never seen one when he had gone on missions.

After the initial shock of the dragons landing, the boulder beasts slowly crawled or rolled back to their places, surrounding them and falling asleep once more. Not minding the larger, more dangerous creatures that infiltrated their home. They must have loved the field more than they feared the dragons.

An hour later when the sun had finally set and they had finished setting up camp, Kyungsoo found himself leaning against one of the sleeping boulder beasts, enjoying the warmth it emitted despite its rock-like skin. Hydro snoozed right beside him curling around his own boulder beast who looked too scared to sleep nor roll away. Kyungsoo felt for the creature but he was completely exhausted to reassure it that the dragon liked to swallow its food whole. 

Even if the riders and he were now out of the zone of the Oasis and they had not cuffed him again, Kyungsoo still got a glare of warning from Chanyeol that if he tried anything funny or if he tried escaping, his saber would be the first thing at his throat. Kyungsoo didn't bother reassuring the elf that he wouldn't do anything. His mana levels were too grossly depleted for that.

Then again, there was still something he had to get to the bottom of so he couldn't exactly leave just yet.

“Hey, Kai,” began Baekhyun. The older elf was leaning against his dragon who had curled up protectively around her rider. Baekhyun had gotten an earful from both Chanyeol and Kirin when he got out of the temple but it seemed only one had ultimately forgiven him. 

The other elf had gone off to find them some food to eat and apparently to let off some more of that steam. This didn’t seem to bother Baekhyun that much as in his words, _It’s fine since Chanyeol’s still talking to me_.

“Yeah?” Jongin replied from where he was tending to Ryujin’s wounds by the campfire with some of that green salve Junmyeon had given them. The smaller dragon was completely loving the attention her rider was giving her but even Kyungsoo could tell she was trying to hide the pain she felt.

“Was it fine for Ryujin to circuit us? It...we didn’t make it worse, did we?” 

Jongin sighed and caressed his dragon’s head. He tucked the satchel with the drakosphillia in the small circle she made as she curled up before the fire. And as the satchel touched her body, her face finally eased as she fell asleep.

“No, she did what was necessary,” said Jongin. “She’ll be fine. Junmyeon had considered beforehand that we might be needing her ability at some point.”

Yet Kyungsoo still saw the worry beneath but he couldn’t think of anything to comfort Jongin or reassure him. He saw the rider reach for his canteen of water but it came up empty. It turned out that most of their bottles barely had any water left.

"I'll refill them," offered Kyungsoo quietly. "I saw a river nearby."

"I'll go," said Jongin. "You should rest. You look like one push could topple you." 

Kyungsoo waved his hand dismissively and got up to grab the empty containers. Because he wouldn’t back down, in the end, Jongin ended up accompanying him to no one's surprise.

“Five years and you’re just as stubborn,” the rider said, shaking his head.

“Five years and you still love courting death,” Kyungsoo retorted. 

After the relief had faded and Jongin was back on safe ground, the anger had come at how reckless he was. While Chanyeol had given Baekhyun a piece of his mind, Kyungsoo on the other hand gave Jongin his coldest glare, making sure the rider knew just how pissed off he was. Short, clipped answers were all he said the next few hours.

Now, his anger had subsided enough for Kyungsoo to offer more than three words to Jongin in a sentence.

He paused by the trees, closing his eyes to feel the mana through the earth. His magic may have been nearly used up and the most earth he could move right now would be the loose soil beneath his feet, but that did not hinder his ability to paint a picture of the world in golden threads.

The river was now a couple of feet away from them but Kyungsoo veered right, heading upriver. You can never be too sure about where your water came from. 

As it began to incline, the ground and forest around them were filled with roots that protruded and twisted themselves over each other. The foliage here was denser and had hidden obstacles that posed a difficulty as they climbed. Kyungsoo frowned at the roots and then at the wound on his thigh. He lifted his leg over a particularly large knot that blocked the path—

—and slipped.

Jongin immediately grabbed his elbow.

“I’m fine.” Kyungsoo snapped, getting out of his hold.

The rider held up his hands innocently. “I didn’t say anything.” He glared at the taller who just quirked a smile back at him. “A little pissy now, aren't we, Soo?” He didn’t say anything in response to that. Jongin added in a singsongy voice. “Careful or you’ll end up like our dear old Chanyeol.”

“And what?” he asked. “You’ll be Baekhyun? It’s no wonder you’re friends. You’re both too reckless for this world.”

“Oh, if only the world was that nice to us,” Jongin said, chuckling. He didn’t know what the rider meant but he chose not to delve in any further. If he did, he'd probably be even more at a loss for words.

Kyungsoo changed the topic instead. "Why 'Kai'?"

"Hmm?" Jongin asked, surprise coloring his tone.

Kyungsoo himself was quite dumbfounded at his own question but went with it all the same. He'd been curious about the name, but other things had taken precedence and he'd forgotten to ask all about it. "Why do they call you differently?"

The rider was silent, thinking. All that filled the night were the sounds of crickets chirping to the nighttime breeze. Kyungsoo watched the moonlight filter through the canopy above them, shining on the path they walked—firefly light dancing in the spaces between as if Jongin and he had lost themselves in a sea of stars.

A glint of gold and silver caught his attention. The rider had now two different swords strapped to his back. The first was the sword Kyungsoo had seen him with—the golden rose-pommeled one. The second, the white-boned sword that had been embedded on the slab of stone, Jongin now kept as a trophy from their time in the Oasis. He deserved both magnificent swords.

"It was a name given to me by Her Majesty," said Jongin in the quiet of the night. "She knew...she knew I was a hunter. So for a while, we kept it hidden. We managed for about a couple of months but Baekhyun was the quickest one to find out. Nothing gets past that elf even if...he can be a little questionable at times."

"How'd he find out?"

"The signia on my old uniform." Kyungsoo had always thought the embroidered gold of the roaring tiger with two swords behind it was too conspicuous for their dark uniform. Jongin had once thought the same and yet they still wore it. "Baekhyun came across it but he took it surprisingly well."

"Let me guess," said Kyungsoo with a smirk. "It was Chanyeol who didn't."

Jongin bit back a smile. "Yes."

Kyungsoo chuckled. Now was the time to ask him what happened all those years ago, to ask him how had he become a rider. He knew he had to ask...but something ultimately stopped him. The time wasn't ready for such a heavy topic yet.

And so the moment passed for Kyungsoo as one second bled into the next.

They reached as far upriver as they could, just before the terrain turned from low forests to high mountain faces, making it impossible for him to climb with his leg. They came across a tiny clearing with the riverbank beside it.

“This will do,” said Kyungsoo, nodding towards the river. "I don't think we'll die from drinking this." As he started to open the canteens to fill them up, Jongin plucked them out of his hand and locked those piercing hazel eyes to his once more.

“Sit,” the rider said and pushed the hunter down on a gnarled root. Before he could protest, Jongin knelt before him, rolled up the pants on his right leg, and regarded the bandages where fresh blood had begun to stain the white cloth once again. Jongin tsked. “And this is why I told you I should have been the one to go instead.”

Kyungsoo had managed to regularly change the dressing over the past couple of days, applying that dark green medicine Junmyeon had given him all on his own. It had somewhat healed the arrow wound although black tendrils much like Ryujin’s own still surrounded the wound. It hadn't spread which was a relief—in fact, the veins had even begun to fade—but their latest adventure plus a strain on his magic had reopened the wound once again. Kyungsoo ignored the slight throbbing pain for the most part but only because he knew it would go away again in a few days. To him, this was nothing new.

“It doesn’t hurt. I’m fine.”

“Hmm,” Jongin murmured as he placed a slim-fingered hand on top of the wound, making Kyungsoo’s breath hitch despite himself. In this position, they were way too close and it messed too much with his mind that he couldn’t think straight. Immediately though, as if his leg had been doused in warmth, the pain subsided where Jongin touched. 

Kyungsoo looked up, bewildered, into those hazel eyes that _glowed_ in the dark, as bright two stars in the night. 

“Better?” The rider asked.

Kyungsoo flinched back in shock. But as he was sitting on top of a root without much surface, he found himself falling backward, letting out a string of curses. 

The rider was immediately there, helping the hunter up, his eyes dark once more.

“What was that?” Kyungsoo asked incredulously. "Your eyes—!"

He had seen those same eyes in that cavern underground when Jongin had brought him out of that memory haze but he had dismissed it as a trick of the mirrored light that had shone down on them. He couldn’t think of anything else after—

 _No_ , Kyungsoo realized with a start, his head spinning not only from the fall but also from remembering all those years he had spent with Jongin. The first time he had seen that…was back when they were captured by those slave traders almost eleven years ago—in that dark carriage as he held that little girl and when he faced that man who had stabbed him.

“It's magic,” said Jongin simply. He settled Kyungsoo once more on the gnarled root and this time, held him there. “Healing magic more specifically.”

“No shit." The hunter deadpanned. "It's just...I’ve never seen you use it when we were hunters...” Kyungsoo trailed off, shaking his head.

Jongin had always been the better hunter—faster, stronger, smarter—and he had been so without the help of magic. It was why the legacies had played such nasty tricks on him back when they first tried to join the Guild. They couldn't accept someone like him who was low born and had only trained for two years but had already surpassed them in every way.

Eventually, they had no choice but to acknowledge Jongin, and Kyungsoo to an extent, the day they defeated that young dragon in the Arena with just their swords. They had been the only ones to get in the Guild without having to go through the Rites.

Knowing Jongin had the capacity for magic—was probably inherent—Kyungsoo still couldn’t believe it.

“I’ve always had it.” Jongin shrugged, placing a hand once more on Kyungsoo's leg. Again, the pain went away as his eyes glowed. “It was a more passive thing back then, activating only when I subconsciously needed it. I didn't know how to use it until recently. You see, there’s a certain drawback to this magic.”

“What do you mean?” 

It was a while before Jongin spoke again as he concentrated on the wound. A light sheen of sweat appeared on his face once he was done but as he went to stand up, Kyungsoo saw him wince slightly. The hunter's eyes immediately flicked to where he was now leaning on his left foot. 

Kyungsoo on the other hand could stand up just fine.

“There are two things about this," said Jongin. "One, if it’s loud enough, I can hear the thoughts of the ones I heal.” 

Kyungsoo looked at him in alarm. 

“It’s not always. It happens on _extremely_ rare occasions.” The rider quickly reassured him and Kyungsoo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he would do if Jongin had heard the thoughts and memories he so desperately tried to keep buried. It would do neither of them any good.

“What’s the second?” Kyungsoo asked, looking up to peer into that handsome face, waiting for him to answer.

“There’s a rebound,” said Jongin, gingerly shaking his right leg. “It's a constant condition. For me to heal someone’s wound, I'd have to share the pain. Take it in, if you will.”

Kyungsoo gasped and punched him. "Idiot. Then why did you heal mine? I told you I was fine!” He could not believe that such a thing existed and that of all people, it was Jongin who received such burden.

Fate truly loved her games then if this kind of magic went to the most reckless and selfless person he knew.

“Ow,” said Jongin with a laugh as he clutched the shoulder Kyungsoo hit. “I’d rather have you say your gratitude, thank you very much.”

The hunter sighed, rubbing his face. Everything Jongin did had always left him frustrated. Apparently, it was the same even after their five years apart. The rider still never put himself first over others.

“And I didn’t heal your wound,” said Jongin quietly. “I _can’t_. Something is preventing me from closing it completely and I hate that right now, it’s beyond my ability. All I can do is simply take your pain away.” The rider sighed, scratching the back of his head. “Dragonsbane, even when cured, has always had nasty side effects on humans even if it's not as lethal as it would be on a dragon. However, we’d still need to get you and Ryujin to Junmyeon quickly.”

Kyungsoo frowned. "You didn't have to do that, you know, if it meant you'll only get hurt…"

"I don't mind. As you said, it isn’t that unbearable." The rider reached out to touch Kyungsoo’s forehead and frowned. “Hmm,” was all he said again.

“What is it?”

“Your mana levels are recovering slower than normal.”

It was no wonder he was so tired. Even on previous hunts when he would completely drain his magic, it’d recover at least after a few hours. Right now, it’s been more than that but all he could manage to raise was a tiny piece of the earth they stepped on. Kyungsoo had passed it off as a side effect from being in the Oasis but he had seen Baekhyun tinker with a new toy earlier that evening—infusing it with his mana and light—with no problem at all.

Then again, Baekhyun hadn’t pushed his magic beyond the limit just to hold the temple up.

Kyungsoo waved the other’s hand away. “It’s because I used up everything too fast, Jongin. This is normal. It’ll be back after a couple of days so don’t think too much about it. I’m fine.”

The rider studied him for a moment before nodding. “Right,” said Jongin as if he had finally decided on something. Turning quickly, he filled their canteens with water and was by Kyungsoo’s side before the minute was even up. “We’re going back straight to camp and you’re going to rest.”

Kyungsoo began to protest but the rider cut him off.

“Healer’s orders.” Jongin looked at him pointedly.

He huffed a laugh at that. “Pulling that card on me now?”

Jongin shrugged. “If it means getting your stubborn ass to finally listen to me then sure, I’ll pull that card a hundred thousand times on you if necessary.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “You really think _you’re_ the best person to call me stubborn? Really now, Jongin?"

The rider burst out laughing, mirthful light showing once again in those beautiful hazel eyes. For a moment, Kyungsoo was left breathless. Sometimes, he couldn’t believe he was given a second chance in this lifetime with Jongin—even with all the circumstances surrounding them.

“Okay, fine. That one, I deserved.”

They made their way back to the camp as quickly as they possibly could. Jongin kept a hand ready at Kyungsoo’s elbow even though the hunter had protested and said he was perfectly able to maneuver through the gnarled roots on his own despite his injured leg but the rider refused to listen to him and hovered nearby just in case.

They reached the edge of the camp, but before they could be seen by either Baekhyun or Chanyeol, Jongin stopped him.

"Soo," he began. "I never got to thank you for what you did today. So—"

Kyungsoo stopped him there. A small grin curling at the corners. "Think of it as my debt paid to you for saving my life."

Jongin blinked, quiet surprise and a hint of mischief once again coloring his eyes before he smiled back. "Then we owe each other nothing."

He nodded. “You did what you had to do and I did, too.” 

The rider paused, cocking his head to one side as he contemplated for a moment. All that surrounded them were the soft snores of the dragons and the boulder beasts that filled the night. For a moment, it was just Kyungsoo and Jongin and in that tiny second, nothing else in the world mattered.

But all moments came to an end.

Jongin stepped closer. “Soo,” he said, his tone serious now. “I have a favor to ask of you.” He didn’t wait for the other to agree before getting right to it. “I know we have this truce and that you said you would remain impartial about assuming I was the one responsible for those missing hunters but...can I ask you to remain that way for a little while longer?” 

“Why?”

“The disappearances...it might be related to another case of ours and I may need your help.” Just as he was about to ask what it was about, Jongin studied his face once again and stepped back with a small smile. “Let’s talk about this tomorrow. I wasn’t kidding when I said you needed to rest.”

Kyungsoo’s jaw dropped down in disbelief. “You don’t just say that and expect me to not be curious, you damn bastard.”

Jongin chuckled. “Tomorrow. I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow.”

“You better.”

That night, Kyungsoo woke with a start. The campfire was dark and the dragons, riders, and boulder beasts alike were deep in slumber and had not noticed the shadow that crept at the edges of their camp, dark as a moonless night.

No, this was wrong. Chanyeol had volunteered to be the first watch that night but the elf was nowhere to be seen.

Kyungsoo felt the hair at the back of his neck rise as he realized he was being watched. Jongin was still fast asleep with Ryujin curled up beside him. The cicadas and crickets that had filled the forest went suddenly quiet as if a blanket had covered their little clearing, plunging it into silence.

Standing, Kyungsoo turned towards the dark, his ears straining to pick up any unusual sounds.

He moved to wake Jongin when the sound of a twig snapping to his right caught his attention. He whirled to the sound but only a pair of bright yellow eyes greeted him before fading back. The wild cat turned, no longer interested in the human surrounded by monstrous beasts.

He breathed a sigh of relief. 

After the whole temple incident that afternoon, despite his exhaustion, he was still on edge; his magic and blood singing throughout his system as if it was still pushed and pulled by the mana fluctuations of the Oasis. They were miles away now from its ancient magic and yet he could still feel every bit of it.

Kyungsoo closed his eyes and took a deep breath before watching the night once more. The moonbeams danced through the clouds the night breeze chased, painting their little clearing in streams of silver.

“It seems like you’re enjoying your time here.”

Kyungsoo whirled and found himself face to face with a man in his prime. Bedecked in a simple white tunic and adorned with jewels in the standard black-and-gold colors of his home country, glinting slightly in the moonlight, he stood apart from the simple shadows of the woods in this lonely corner of the desert. He was tall, his angular face hidden slightly in the shadows but Kyungsoo could never for one second forget the King of Elyx.

He stepped back in surprise. This was impossible. It had to be a dream. He couldn't be here for real.

Kyungsoo turned around again only to find himself completely alone in the dark. The campsite had disappeared around him.

The King stepped closer and greeted him simply. “Hello, captain.”

Kyungsoo immediately dropped down to one knee and placed his right fist over his heart in a salute. “My King,” he said, blood pounding as fast as his mind.

He had met the King in person over a year ago, during the banquet at the palace for the Feast of the Good Hunt held just before winter. The Guild Master was always invited and that year, he had decided to bring a few of his hunters to present them to the King who sat on his throne made out of dragonbone. Even then, the King's calm face was imposing and only the High Mage Woo Do Hwan had stood by his side then.

The King now held himself with high regard even if he was alone in this dark clearing, with only a plain sword tied to his belt. But Kyungsoo knew this man’s true weapon lay in the magic that flowed in his veins. He could feel the power radiating from him as if the King didn’t even bother putting a damper over his magic.

Kyungsoo's mind scrambled for answers. This had to be a dream. There was no other answer for it. For what was a king of the realm doing in a place like this all alone?

Even with all these questions, Kyungsoo knew this was a message loud and clear.

"My King,” he repeated, unable to look up. “I can explain.”

His Majesty held up a hand for him to stop. “You seem to be on edge,” said the King, his voice rather impassive. “Do you perhaps prefer me to take this form?”

The King casually waved his hand and changed his youthful appearance. Dark wavy hair turned into a short-cropped cut flecked with gray, young skin became withered, and wrinkles lined up at the eyes and mouth. It took only a few seconds but Kyungsoo was now staring at the aged face of his Guild Master. His clothes, however, remained the same.

“W-what?” He stuttered. “How? Who are you?”

“Anything is possible in this place, my dear captain, as this is simply a corner of your mind,” said the King-now-turned-Guild Master. Even his voice had changed into the gravelly voice of Lee Soo Man. “You reign free in this place and I am just your subconsciousness taking form.” 

_This can't be real, can it?_

"You must be wondering if you're dreaming, yes?" said the Guild Master as a whorl of shadows morphed into a throne of dragonbones and he sat upon it. "Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. Who's to say for sure in this great unknown?" He focused his piercing gaze, sharp as a knife, on Kyungsoo and cocked a smile. "However, the question you should be asking is why have I appeared now, captain?"

Kyungsoo frowned. 

"I am simply but a reminder." The Guild Master steepled his fingers together, regarding Kyungsoo over the tips. “After all, don’t you have a duty to perform?”

Kyungsoo’s heart thundered in his ears.

“You haven’t forgotten what it is, have you?” 

His Master was in his face, faster than the blink of an eye, and Kyungsoo was caught frozen—unable to move even if he tried.

"You haven't forgotten who _you_ are?"

_We'll be waiting._

Kyungsoo woke with a start for the second time that day.

"Whoa there," said a voice from above him. Kyungsoo blinked and found Jongin standing before him. "I was just about to wake you. We're heading back now."

He sat up, looking around, and realized they were still at the clearing filled with boulder beasts, who just like him, had begun to wake as well. There was no sign or indication that someone had appeared the night before. Chanyeol himself, who had been up all night, didn't even seem like he had something to say.

_You haven't forgotten your duty, have you?_

Kyungsoo's hands trembled slightly as he pushed himself up. He knew it was definitely all in his head—that whatever had been said there was just that, a dream. 

_You haven’t forgotten who you are?_

Yet, for some reason, Kyungsoo couldn't shake the feeling of the slight chance that it was not and the underlying meaning. Nor could he forget the clear message that had embedded itself deep in his soul.

Jongin filled his vision as the rider went to stand before him. Offering a piece of sandwich to the hunter, he said, "Here, you should eat."

Kyungsoo clenched his fist behind his back to calm his racing heart before reaching out to take the food. "Thank you," was all he replied.

Jongin studied him for half a beat. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Kyungsoo said, biting into the food. "Yeah, I just had a bad dream...and thinking about flying made me nauseous again." He smiled sheepishly, hoping it looked convincing enough. Half lies between half-truths were always the hardest to spot, after all.

Even if Jongin suspected something, the rider wisely didn’t say anything. Not too long after, they got on Hydro and were on their way. 

Kyungsoo rode in the same spot, between Jongin and the azure dragon’s neck but his mind was way too preoccupied to think about the rider who sat so close behind him. Taking off still definitely scared the shit out of him but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

His mana was recovering nicely, which was a plus, confirmed when Jongin placed a hand on his forehead once again and nodded but Kyungsoo knew it was nowhere near fast enough as his recovery rate in the past. The side effects from the dragonsbane arrow must be stronger than Jongin or he had initially thought.

However, even the fear of flying or his slow-healing wound had been shoved to the back of his mind. There was something he was curious about and with the danger of the temple behind them and the drakosphillia retrieved safely, he had to know what happens now.

“Jongin,” he began. The rider leaned in close, causing Kyungsoo’s heart to jump at the sudden proximity but he persisted, turning his head slightly to say it into his ear and not be drowned out by the wind. “About what you said last night—you mentioned you needed my help?"

Jongin’s face hardened, his eyes distant steel as he faced the horizon bathe in the early morning light. They were heading back north.

"It's not only hunters that have gone missing," said Jongin. "Some people in nearby villages, too, and all in the same manner as the missing Guild hunters. The most recent one just so happens to be a demi-elf from a village under Her Majesty's jurisdiction."

Jongin's information raised even more questions about the case than Kyungsoo thought. He'd already had his doubts when he first read the reports—that there was more to this than meets the eyes—but he had only so much data to go through. 

But Kyungsoo didn't want to come to a final conclusion not just yet. Not until he had seen all evidence.

"I need your help, Soo," said Jongin. "At this point, this is something I can't do alone and it just so happens our interests now align."

“Alright,” replied Kyungsoo after a moment of thought. “I’ll help you. But what happens after?” _After we have solved it,_ was what he couldn’t say. 

However, the rider understood by just a look in his eyes.

“Then you may leave.”

Kyungsoo waited on the sidelines of the clearing by the lake the moment they arrived back in the outpost. Baekhyun and Chanyeol had immediately broken off from them, heading to this village they passed on the way. 

With his magic fully recovered and not sealed off by Baekhyun’s cuffs, Kyungsoo could finally tell just where on the continent they were.

The riders’ outpost was based on a forgotten mountain range past the Northern Wastes. It was no wonder no one had discovered them sooner. Most hunters never dared to venture past the Northern Wastes nor did the neighboring countries of Raghin and Phillis. Thousands of kilometers of frozen tundra filled with nothing but dangerous terrains and hidden monsters of old were enough to scare anyone off. The Northern Wastes was nothing like the Oasis with its mana fluctuations and ancient magic but everyone agreed this was no man’s land.

One of the more effective ways to get past the dangers of the Wastes was definitely through flying and as they passed a tiny village at the base of the mountain, Kyungsoo felt a zing run through him.

“Wards,” Jongin had said by means of explanation. “I asked Jongdae and Baekhyun to temporarily key your magic in.”

Jongin explained that despite the Waste being one of their first defenses from outside threats, Baekhyun had designed another device in which he infused his and Jongdae’s magic—Kyungsoo still had no idea who this person was—to create wardstones all over the mountain as a second layer of defense and to keep this hidden corner of theirs away from the outside world. It was how the elves had kept to themselves this past century, making everyone believe they had faded into existence.

Now, Kyungsoo watched Jongin hand Junmyeon the satchel full of the drakosphillia as he waited by the rider’s side. He didn’t know what would happen next but he knew they had plans to check out the sites of the missing hunters and villagers for the next few days. 

Kyungsoo didn’t know where to begin but maybe the sites would give more clues than the reports that were handed to him.

“So how was the Oasis?” asked Junmyeon with a pleasant smile on his face as he pulled out the drakosphillia and lay it upon the table. A variety of items and ingredients could be seen scattered on the wood: a few of the golden orbs Baekhyun had created lay on a bowl labeled ‘recipes for common potions’, some old dragon scales, and numerous bottles labeled in that eleven language. “Is it safe to assume that you all found it fun?”

Kyungsoo huffed under his breath. “ _Fun_ , he says.”

“Well,” said Junmyeon with a shrug. “This is a trip with Baekhyun. How can it be anything less than that?”

It seemed Chanyeol wasn’t the only one who had suffered a hundred years with the sprightly elf’s antics.

The healer plucked out the flowers and placed them in a bowl. Bringing out one of the golden orbs, Junmyeon twisted it and out came that bright white light that painted a piece of parchment written in that other language. Nodding, he carefully placed three blooms into the pot and both Kyungsoo and Jongin watched as the dark mixture started puffing golden smoke. Again, the smell that erupted was enough to make Kyungsoo and Jongin’s eyes water, effectively backing them up a couple of meters.

“The potion will be ready in a couple of days,” said Junmyeon as he stirred the clay pot burning over a low fire, already somehow immune to the smell. “You can leave Ryujin here for the meantime while I monitor her condition especially since she’s been using her magic. Hydro will help you get around if there’s anything you all need to do.” 

The dragon, in particular, huffed at that, tail thumping on the ground.

Jongin plucked Ryujin off his shoulder and gave her a tiny scratch behind her ear. “Behave, alright?” She snorted into his palm before bounding off to annoy the great blue dragon, already breaking her promise. 

Both hunter and riders watched Ryujin hop around, pestering the older one in her tiny form as she nipped at his ear or tail. He humored her back, flicking his head or tail out of the way as Ryujin jumped to paw at them.

“I’ll leave her in your care,” said Jongin to Junmyeon as he looked fondly at the white dragon. 

“Of course,” Junmyeon smiled before turning to Kyungsoo. He cocked his head and inquired, “And will Kyungsoo be staying in the camp with me?” Junmyeon’s sharp eyes didn’t miss out on the fact the hunter was now free from Baekhyun’s cuffs but all the half-elf did was smile politely at the hunter.

“Jongin and I,” Kyungsoo glanced at the rider hesitantly, “we have a few places to check out. Isn’t that right?”

The healer raised an eyebrow at Jongin after pointedly looking at Kyungsoo’s leg. The rider raised a hand and said, “Fine fine, we’ll leave in a couple of days. Happy?”

“Extremely.” Junmyeon nodded in the direction back to the camp. “Both of you get some rest before tonight. There’s a small feast in the village and all the riders here are invited.” Kyungsoo had just about opened his mouth when the half-elf added, “And yes, guests, too.”

Jongin walked Kyungsoo back to camp, both unusually quiet. All that filled the silence were the birds chirping away in the forest and the sound of animals scurrying in the undergrowth.

They reached the second clearing where the camp had been set up; however this time, Kyungsoo was finally able to get a better look at the place. A couple more tents had sprung up around the campfire but not a soul could be seen.

“Is this place always this...empty?” he asked Jongin.

The rider shrugged. “This outpost has always served as more of a resting place for traveling riders on the way back to their own outpost or to Her Majesty’s. Only a few have been truly assigned here and you’ve already met most of them. Maybe you’ll meet the others tonight if they get back from wherever they are.”

He nodded, taking note that apparently, there were more riders out there and a bunch more outposts.

“Why the sudden curiosity?” The question didn’t hold any suspicion. Jongin himself was just curious.

“I’m just…” Kyungsoo trailed off, searching for the courage to finally maybe ask that question but realized, it probably still wasn’t the right time. “I’m just wondering about the possibility of encountering another Baekhyun in the near future. I don’t think I can handle more than one.”

Jongin chuckled, shaking his head. “If one more Baekhyun _did_ appear, that would also mean there’d have to be one more Chanyeol to contain him. One of each is probably also all this world can handle.”

“You make it sound like they were made for each other although, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were.”

They arrived at the tent Kyungsoo initially woke up in when he first arrived. 

“Soo, I—” The rider began but immediately stopped. Kyungsoo knew that what Jongin wanted to say was important but maybe, just like the hunter, he, too, couldn’t find the words for it. 

And maybe it was because of this constant push and pull between them when it came to the past, Kyungsoo finally knew what to do.

“Tonight. I’ll see you tonight.”

 _Tell me tonight_.

Jongin, for once, understood what Kyungsoo was trying to say. “Tonight,” he replied. With a small smile, he nodded before turning on one foot and heading to his tent in front of Kyungsoo’s.

However, this little gesture left Kyungsoo alone for a few hours with his thoughts. Laying on his cot with nothing but the canvass above him, he tried to rest but the things on his mind and the constant yet subtle ache of the arrow wound refused to let him.

It was as if both were reminders that whatever this was with Jongin and the riders, it could never last. Their worlds were ultimately too different now even if they did have the same goal at the moment.

 _Hunter of Elyx_.

He of all people knew what he really was. He didn’t need a dream to remind him. It was a simple title, an occupation above all, and yet…

He thought about Jongin and how he had shed that title so easily, how he had forgotten that because of that, he was able to live this long. If it weren’t for Yoona, Siwon, and Taeyeon that day all those years ago, they would have never lived past to see the dawn.

Was this the world ultimately telling him that whatever sense of normalcy he had come to find with Jongin the past few days would come to an end?


	6. Chapter 6

The sun had just about set by the time Kyungsoo and Jongin made it down the mountain. They left Hydro with Junmyeon, deciding that the elder dragon had flown enough the past few days.

The village was more a group of houses put together than an actual village. Where there should have been shops, there were just living spaces set up. Out of the hundred people that lived here, more were farmers than merchants, as what the village constantly needed was food for the long winter months all this way up in the Northern Wastes. Another thing Kyungsoo noticed was that the majority of them were the elderly or young children.

It was as if this little place was lost in time.

“These people have come from very far away after losing their home,” said Jongin as they walked around the wooden houses that surrounded the village square. “Her Majesty took them in and hid them from the outside world.”

Kyungsoo watched as a group of children passed, playing tag as they raced after one another. He watched as one kid whipped his hand forward and a blast of icy wind buffeted the one in front of him, surprising the child, causing the other to finally catch up to him. They laughed loudly before once again giving chase.

An older man came out of the house and shouted at the kid, telling him he shouldn’t use his powers like that so easily, but the kids refused to listen to him and continued chasing each other as they used their magic and that’s when Kyungsoo saw that half of them had magical abilities.

“Are they all half-elves?” Kyungsoo asked. It was rare to find a lot of inherent magic users in one place so being a demi was one of the few explanations the hunter could come up with.

Jongin nodded. “Most of them are descended from the elves while others have at least one parent who's pureblood. The one thing they have in common in this village is that everyone here has lost someone from their family. Where they come from, they are prized for the blood that runs through their veins which is why Her Majesty had brought them all here, to keep them safe.”

“Are the other outposts like this?” Another nod. “So there isn’t an army of dragon riders?”

The rider looked at him incredulously, a tiny chuckle escaping him. “There aren’t enough dragons in this world for that, Soo. You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m not worried,” assured Kyungsoo. “I’m just shocked. I always thought there would be more of you especially since you address this mighty dragon queen as ‘Her Majesty’.”

“What you see is all there is,” said Jongin, nodding at the village as they all rushed around, bringing all kinds of dishes to and fro to prepare for the feast that night. “Tonight marks the seventh year since they got here.”

Kyungsoo turned back to the people of the village too busy with their task to do more than greet briefly in their direction. Surprisingly, they welcomed him and Jongin warmly as if he was one of the dragon riders who protected them.

It left a heavy weight in his gut but he could not fathom as to why. Was it because he felt like he had somehow deceived them? Somehow felt that maybe at some point, he’d disturb the fragile peace they had found if they find out he hunted their protectors so easily?

Jongin glanced at him, noticing the change in mood. “Want to head towards the field? I heard that’s where the main celebration will be.”

Kyungsoo nodded and followed the rider out the cluster of houses and through a short walk in the woods that surrounded the village. Already, he could hear the music and laughter before he saw the bonfire that raged in the middle of a vast field at the foot of the mountain. There were tables to one side filled with the food Kyungsoo had seen the villagers had rushed out with earlier—an assortment of roasted meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other dishes that made Kyungsoo’s mouth water from just the smell that wafted through the clearing.

Light tinkling laughter sounded from one side and he turned to see Baekhyun dancing with the same kids that had been playing tag around the village. The snow-haired elf carried a little girl about seven or eight on his feet as he twirled them around a stoic Chanyeol who served as the point of origin. For once, the fiery elf wasn’t scowling, and while he wasn’t exactly smiling, with the way he was watching Baekhyun laugh and dance, one could almost describe his harsh face as soft.

“Kai! Kyungsoo, over here!” Baekhyun called out, waving them over.

“Kai!” The little girl that had been dancing with Baekhyun squealed as she ripped away from her partner and bounded towards them. In her glee, she ended up tripping on her feet. Kyungsoo immediately whipped out his hand, moving and forming the earth to cradle her as she fell. Surprise colored her pretty face but a sheepish grin soon appeared.

“Yeji,” Jongin chastised softly as he helped her up, dusting the dirt off her pale yellow dress. “Didn’t I tell you to always be careful when you run?”

Yeji nodded, giggling, but from the way she glanced around the rider, something else had already taken precedence in her mind. “Where’s Ryujin, Kai?” She asked when the white dragon was nowhere to be seen. “I want to play with her.”

“Ryujin is with Junmyeon right now. She isn’t feeling well at the moment but maybe she’ll come to visit later with him.” A tiny pout formed on her face. “There’s someone else I want to introduce to you though.” 

Kyungsoo shot an alarmed look towards the rider but Jongin had already picked up the little girl and was heading towards Kyungsoo.

“This here is Kyungsoo,” said Jongin as he hitched her on his hip and pointed at the hunter. “He’ll be staying by my side until Ryujin gets better.”

“Do you have some sort of special power that turns you into a dragon?” asked Yeji, her catlike eyes sparkling at the idea of it. She was pretty for a kid and clearly of elf origin despite being human. “My brother says it’d be cool if he turned into one but all he can turn into is a cat.”

Kyungsoo glanced at Jongin in question before turning back to the little girl. “Sorry to disappoint you, Yeji, but this is all I can do.” He flicked his hand up and a block of solid earth rose from the ground big enough for him to sit. “See? Nothing too interesting.”

However, Yeji gasped, her eyes shining with clear excitement at the simple magic trick. “You have the same power as the Princess!”

He blanched and Jongin let out a laugh at that. “Princess?”

Yeji nodded enthusiastically. “Everyone here knows about the Princess. My mom told my brother and me that she was this powerful elf mage who saved everyone here before we were born when she defended us against the evil ones. They called her—” her face twisted as she tried to remember the word but lit up once again when she did “—the great Earth-shaker!”

Jongin was now full out laughing, mouthing ‘ _Princess Earth-shaker_ ’ to Kyungsoo who rolled his eyes at his childishness. Leave it to him to find this coincidence extremely entertaining.

“Well, I’m sure this Princess of yours is extremely powerful, Yeji.” Suddenly, the wound on his thigh throbbed, causing him to sit on the ground he had raised. Jongin flinched towards him but Kyungsoo held out a hand and reassured the rider, “It’s okay. I’m good.”

Jongin blinked before whispering to Yeji as he placed her back down, “Hey, Yeji, do me a favor and go play with Baekhyun and Chanyeol for a while, alright? I’m going to check on Kyungsoo here for a moment.” 

She giggled and nodded, giving him a thumbs up. “Hope you get better, Mr. Kyungsoo!” She waved at the hunter before bounding off towards the pair of elves. With playful elegance, she headbutted Chanyeol’s thigh, causing Baekhyun to drop down laughing at his shocked face.

Jongin knelt in front of Kyungsoo once again and checked the wound but the hunter stopped him. “I’m fine, really. You don’t have to worry that much. It just took me by surprise.” He stood up and pulled Jongin up with him. “C’mon, I’m starving.”

Jongin looked at him once before quietly following the hunter towards the tables laid with food.

The party was in full swing a couple of hours later. The villagers brought out their instruments and began playing lively tunes that had everyone pulling a partner up from the sidelines and dancing around the raging bonfire in the middle. Up above, the stars and the bright full moon smiled down upon them, shining their dazzling light.

Kyungsoo watched as that little girl, Yeji, pulled Jongin up from beside and practically begged him to dance with her and this other little boy who hid behind her. Later, he realized the boy was her twin brother, Hyunjin, who Yeji had said could turn into a cat.

Clapping along with the music, he laughed as Jongin twirled both siblings to the music, joyful and carefree.

It was only when the music had slowed down that Jongin returned to Kyungsoo’s side. He held out a berry from the bowl he was holding and offered it to the rider. He sat down and opened his mouth but made no movement to come closer.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, understanding, and popped the berry straight into Jongin’s mouth. “Thanks,” smiled the rider, chuckling. “Ooh, that’s delicious. It seems the harvest was a good one this year.”

The hunter picked at the bowl, deciding. As he had watched Jongin dance around the bonfire, he realized that maybe there was never a right time to bring it up. Maybe, with them, you just had to go for it and see exactly where it would land. It seemed the rider had the same idea as him because he stood up and held out his hand towards him.

“Soo?” began Jongin.

“Hmm?”

“Come with me for a second.” He took the offered hand and both hunter and rider got up, heading deeper into the woods and leaving the party behind. “This way, we can be alone without having any curious ears on us,” explained the rider.

Kyungsoo came to a final decision.

“Soo, I—”

“What happened back then?”

Jongin was just as surprised at Kyungsoo’s words but now that they were out, he had no intention of taking them back. He had avoided asking Jongin about the past ever since they met again. He felt like he didn’t have the right. Not anymore.

This time, he had to ask. If only because if he didn’t, he might never get the nerve to do so.

“Why’d you leave all of sudden?” He looked up at the rider, not letting up on the questions or for him to escape. For whatever words that were left unspoken in the five years they were separated, they were ready to come out now. “If you were alive all this time, why didn’t you tell me?”

_Why didn’t you ever come back to me?_

Jongin was quiet for a while. They watched the villagers continue to dance around the bonfire, enjoying their little feast. Just when Kyungsoo thought Jongin wouldn’t answer, the rider let out a quiet sigh and whispered, “I wanted to, Soo. I really did.”

Kyungsoo felt an ache in his heart, a quiet one—one he tried so hard to bury and forget after finally accepting that Jongin was gone. It had only awakened again when the rider appeared before him all those days ago but with the circumstances they were in, the worlds that kept them apart, he had to ignore it.

“What happened? Why didn’t you?” Kyungsoo needed to know—he needed an answer after five years of believing Jongin was dead.

“I couldn’t,” replied Jongin, a sad smile on his lips. “I couldn’t come back, couldn’t start that again. You see, the hunting life...it wasn’t for me.”

“But you were so good at it.” He couldn’t wrap his head around that fact. Jongin had been one of the best hunters of their generation. He could track down the creatures and finish the mission in only a matter of days. Even the older hunters like Siwon and Yoona had praised his skills and how fast he had learned despite not having any magic to aid him. Jongin had always been swift and effective when taking down whatever he was facing, whether it was a fire-breathing dragon, a man-eating goblin, or a ravenous dire wolf.

“Just because I was good at it doesn’t mean I wanted it.”

Kyungsoo was suddenly taken back to their conversation on that field that one summer day, where the poppies and daisies were the only witnesses to what had transpired. 

_Did you ever think this was where you’d wind up?_ he had asked. 

Kyungsoo had only seen the surface of it; had only seen that the life he had led before Antiqa was a nightmare compared to the life as a hunter. He had food in his belly every night, money in his pocket and a bed to sleep on. A few missions with felled creatures were nothing to Kyungsoo if it meant he could continue living like so.

Now, he understood the slight hesitation he had seen in Jongin’s eyes every time he was burdened with the finishing blow five years ago.

 _Was it necessary to kill the creatures?_

Kyungsoo had never seen the missions as more than what they were: the means to an end for him. Thinking back now and remembering the same scenes in the haze of the memory snake, Kyungsoo knew it was never necessary to always end the creatures’ lives. Some had only been protecting a home or saving their own. Some of them just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was the humans who had reacted first...especially when it came to the more dangerous ones like dragons. Even just flying above could spark the alarm.

“What happened?” Kyungsoo asked. “What changed everything?”

“That last solo mission.” Jongin paused as he searched for the words. 

That last one, the white-grey dragon that looked so much like Ryujin—the one Jongin had been tasked to kill—Kyungsoo had never seen the end of that mission. All he remembered was how disappointed the Guild Master had been for letting it get away that he assigned Jongin, the captain of that mission, to go after it and finish it off. 

“It was supposed to be an easy one.” Jongin laughed but there was no humor in his voice. “The dragon had already been weakened by Yifan and you. All it would have taken was one more hit from us but she had gotten away.”

Kyungsoo remembered. Just as Jongin was about to deal the finishing blow, he had hesitated. It was a fraction of a second, imperceptible to most, but Kyungsoo had seen it; had even raged at the rider for almost costing them their lives at his indecision.

“I had tracked her to a cave in the north. By that time, I was already so confused with myself, our guild, everything. Why did we take their lives so easily as if we understood? As if we had the right? It is true, dragons had taken lots of lives but we had taken just as much as theirs. Wasn’t there a world where we all could live harmoniously? 

“It was too ideal, too wishful thinking but I hoped that one day it would happen. A better world. Back then, that was all I ever wanted to see.” Jongin chuckled drily again before sighing. “I thought it wasn’t possible. You see that dragon...she was Ryujin’s mother.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t find the words to respond to that.

Jongin continued, getting lost in his memory as if he had been taken over by his own haze. “She was already dying by the time I found her. We had already inflicted too much damage. I hadn’t known then she was a mother and we fought—her raging claws to my sword. Despite the poison and the wounds, she was vicious. She turned me far enough from the cave, choosing to protect her dragonling down to her very last breath. Her egg had just hatched, you see, and around that time, food had been scarce. I found out later that was why she had traveled south and had stolen the livestock. She had been bringing them back to Ryujin.

“We never finished our fight. There was an earthquake and she had rushed past me, flying back towards the cave where Ryujin was.” Jongin closed his eyes. “She didn’t make it. The rocks had collapsed above her and yet she managed to get her hatchling out of harms’ way. I tried to save her, I really did...but whatever healing ability I had, it only got so far.”

Kyungsoo found himself silently reaching out towards Jongin, intertwining their hands together like they had done so long ago. He gave him a gentle squeeze as he waited for the rider to continue.

“Sometimes, I think she had seen that hesitation on my face; had bet her life on it when she pushed Ryujin into my hands and trusted that I could never bring myself to kill her. In her final moments, all she ever cared about was Ryujin. It was a blur after that but all I remember was that I had decided there would be no more unnecessary killing. Never again.

"After a month, Ryujin was strong enough to hunt on her own and I went back to Antiqa. I had planned to quit the Guild then—was ready for it. It wasn’t my calling anymore. But the King sounded that red alert and we were sent into that battle at Canyeone."

Kyungsoo stiffened subconsciously. Even if Jongin was alive now, even if that itself negated what happened in the past, the mere mention of that battle left Kyungsoo in cold sweat. No matter how many years would pass, whether it was five or five hundred, he could never forget that feeling when Jongin had slipped through his fingers and had fallen to the darkness of that cliff. Kyungsoo held Jongin's hand just a bit tighter.

He had lost too much that day and had only just gotten some part of it back.

This time. For sure. He'd make sure he wouldn't lose it again.

Jongin glanced at him in the quiet of the night, his piercing hazel ones locking with Kyungsoo's dark ones. "I was too young, too naive. I thought I could change the hunting world, make them see as I did that maybe we didn't have to end each other's lives. It's much easier said than done. That battle was proof of that. No matter how much I wanted to avoid such unnecessary death, it will always happen. Siwon, Taeyeon, and the rest who fell that night...their deaths happened because of me." 

Kyungsoo started to protest but Jongin stopped him. 

"For every moment I had hesitated to kill Imyrr the Black, a comrade of ours had fallen. My stupid ideals had never even thought to factor in the unstable effects of dragonsbane. The toll it takes on the dragon's mind… It shouldn't be used so freely."

Kyungsoo agreed. The chaos one plant could bring if the dosage was wrong was not worth the chance of momentarily subduing the dragon. Yet, Jongin spoke as if he had felt the effects first hand. "Did you—?"

Jongin nodded. "The moment Imyrr's tail hit me, I felt it, the turmoil in his mind. That's how I had picked up his name the first time around. I didn't know who it was at first but in those few seconds, for just a moment, Imyrr spoke to me and asked me to end him. _Begged me to._ Even an ancient one like him succumbed to the dragonsbane.”

Kyungsoo swallowed. He had never known that dark dragon from the past had a name, that it had conscious thought, and that it had lived for so long only to fall by his hands.

"That day, I thought it was the end, you know?” Jongin seemed even quieter now, his voice barely above a whisper. “However, if it meant you were saved, I didn't mind so much."

"Idiot." Kyungsoo shook his head, his hands trembling as much as his heart at Jongin’s words. "If I had died that night even after you had pushed me out of the way, it would have been for nothing, don't you think?"

“If it’s you, I knew you’d find a way to survive it.” Jongin looked up towards the sky once more, much like that late summer afternoon in the field. “In the end, I’m just the coward who ran, I guess.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “You may be an idiot but you are certainly not a coward, Kim Jongin.” 

There was no way the man before him, who had faced all sorts of dangers head-on could ever be called a coward. A blind, reckless idiot, maybe, but never a coward. 

Jongin smiled at that. “I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not.”

They were quiet for a few more minutes, just staring into each other’s face, before Kyungsoo asked, “How did you survive the fall?” 

Jongin’s face finally started to lighten up. “Ryujin saved me.”

Maybe that was how destiny worked: it showed up when you least expected it. Threads upon threads intertwining on the tapestry of fate, shots of silver and gold among the red bound to meet. Fate, he realized, was someone who ultimately did love her games. 

A dragon saved by a hunter saved him in turn. _Guess some things like that also tended to happen_ , thought Kyungsoo. Just like how Jongin and he now stood on opposite sides.

“As I was falling, I thought, ‘ _Ah, so this is it._ ’” He chuckled. “Then she swooped out of nowhere and caught me just before I hit the ground. I couldn't believe my eyes for a moment. I thought I had died and this was some kind of afterlife. Then Ryujin brought me to the riders, to this place. She had found them soon after I had let her go and after I had seen them, that better world I once dreamed of could finally be possible. It was small, something so trivial in this big world but it made me stay. And before I knew it, the weeks had turned into months and the months into years.” Jongin smiled apologetically at him. “I’m sorry, Kyungsoo. I...I thought this was the best thing I could do.”

“Why are you apologizing?” The hunter shook his head. “Idiot. If anyone’s apologizing, it should be me. I’m the one who went ahead and accused you of hunting down those hunters.”

A wry smirk greeted him. “You’re much better at the sword now than you were five years ago. Congratulations.”

That earned the taller a punch. Jongin began laughing then and Kyungsoo followed soon after. Fate was really a funny thing. Who would have thought they would meet each other in this life again like this?

He turned towards the bonfire in the field where the villagers danced to the soft music playing. In the quiet of the night, with Jongin beside him and the world finally at peace, Kyungsoo wished this moment would never end. Risking a glance at the rider beside him, he was slightly taken aback to find that Jongin was already staring back at him, a soft smile on his lips. Kyungsoo hadn’t realized they had already gotten too close.

“Hey, Soo,” he whispered, locking those piercing hazel eyes on him. “I’ve been wondering.”

“Yeah?” He breathed back, heart pounding.

“Why did you save me?”

Kyungsoo blinked, pausing for a moment. He turned away immediately, unable to keep eye contact for long. On their small corner of the forest, it felt like they had their own world, the party fading into the background. Already Kyungsoo couldn’t take it. 

Jongin squeezed his hand, leaning in to peer at Kyungsoo’s face, making him even more flustered. “In the temple and back when we first met on those cliffs. Why did you save me?”

“Do I really need to answer that?” The rider nodded.

Truthfully, Kyungsoo didn’t have an answer. His body had moved before his mind could even think. The next time he had blinked on that cliff, he was already before Jongin, ready to take those shadow arrows and the fiery death that should have awaited him. 

And he knew he would do so again the next time the need arose.

Maybe he didn't need an answer as to why he saved the rider.

“Who knows?” Kyungsoo said, the corner of his mouth tilting up as he finally gained the nerve to stare back at those hazel eyes that once again held the warmth he knew from all those years ago. “Maybe I just don’t want that handsome face of yours getting scarred again.”

Jongin’s lips twitched, his eyes flicking down to Kyungsoo’s own before going back up. “So you finally admit I’m handsome.”

Kyungsoo sidled in closer, teasing, drawn to that voice of melted honey, so much deeper in the space between them. A coy smile painted itself on his face as gazed over Jongin's face, studying. “Hmm, I guess you’re passable. Though I definitely prefer Chanyeol’s face.”

Jongin burst out laughing, free as the warm summer wind that caressed their faces. “Don’t let Baekhyun hear that, Soo, or you’ll never live long enough to see tomorrow.” 

Kyungsoo could revel in that laugh forever. The person before him was once again every bit the Jongin he lost.

No, he had always been Jongin. Kyungsoo just never really saw the whole person five years ago—the whole person who desperately wanted to save every creature on this earth rather than kill them. It was a foolishly noble act. No one could save the entire world without any repercussions. Yet here was someone reckless enough to try it.

“You know, this better world you speak of, I’d want to see that,” Kyungsoo said. “If it’s you, Jongin, I don’t think it’s impossible.”

A soft smile appeared on the rider’s face, knocking Kyungsoo’s breath away. “Is it crazy that I want you to help me?”

 _Yes_ , that was all he had to answer, all that he needed to say if it meant he could keep living like this with Jongin. It felt like a dream. It was so simple of a word but it could change everything.

The knot in his gut tightened. 

He had to tell Jongin. He had to tell him about the message in his dream. Of his duty to his country. Of the two worlds that kept them apart despite the inches between them.

If their rekindled friendship was the price to pay to keep the riders and Jongin safe, Kyungsoo would gladly pay for it. If it meant Jongin would end up hating him again then so be it. If it meant giving up his life then he didn’t mind at all. Kyungsoo had already lived more than his fair share of years. Twenty-one wasn't an entirely bad age to die if it meant keeping Jongin in this world just a little longer so that one day, he may just get to see that better world of his.

"Jongin, there's something I have to tell you. I need to w—"

A piercing shriek came from the clearing followed by an earth-shaking blast.

Jongin and Kyungsoo got up, immediately. From where they were, they couldn't see what was happening in the field but Kyungsoo had a feeling things were completely turning to shit. With his trained eye, he saw something whizz in the dark. Arrows...no, these were made up of condensed magic.

 _Shadow arrows_. 

He didn't know how but somehow, they had found him. This was bad. He turned towards the direction of the village. _No_ , he thought. _They wouldn’t attack the innocent, would they?_

“Soo?” The rider looked back at him in confusion. “What—"

Another blast sounded.

Jongin cursed under his breath as he studied the air. "The wards—they've fallen. Where’s the attack coming from?"

“The village.” Kyungsoo frowned. Whirling to the rider, he said, “If there’s an attack, it’d be on the village first." He pushed Jongin towards the forest. "Go. Call Hydro and get over there as quickly as you can. If the wards have truly fallen, then you have to get everyone out fast.”

"What do you mean? Then what about here? How do—”

"Jongin," he leveled a hard look at the rider. "I'll take care of everything here. I promise. Do you trust me?"

He prayed just this once, Jongin would listen to him. The rider studied him for a moment, searching. Whatever it was, he must've seen it because he nodded. 

“Alright. I’ll leave this place to you." Jongin turned and whistled for the blue dragon. He handed Kyungsoo his golden rose-pommeled sword. “When all this is over, you better tell me what you were just about to say, Soo. Whatever it is, I’ll listen.”

Kyungsoo nodded, swallowing down the guilt and how this attack could only be all his fault. No, he didn’t have time for that. What’s important now was getting the villagers out. He ran towards the field, pulling the riders’ mask that he kept in his back pocket and tugged it on. He couldn’t risk being recognized now if it was really an attack from the capital. 

He searched for Chanyeol or Baekhyun or even their own dragons. If they could somehow manage to get Kirin and Hugo here, they might just be able to get everyone out before things get any worse.

There was one thing Kyungsoo realized belatedly and it was that these villagers, despite most of them being farmers or the young or elderly, had more mettle to them than he initially thought. They fought back: those whose magic was more suitable for offense launched their magic in the dark, while those who didn’t have any magical capacity immediately assisted the injured ones.

However, these people weren’t trained warriors. They could only hold out for so long before the situation turned dire.

First, he had to find where exactly the attack was coming from. There were bodies all over the place; faces he had just seen that afternoon, alive and excited for the feast. Sticking to the trees, he blasted wall after wall, protecting the demi-elves that he could reach as arrows whooshed in the dark.

That’s when he caught movement in the darkness. They were stealthy and quiet, but Kyungsoo had been one of the best trackers in the Guild, and the forest and earth were his domain. So no matter how much they hid, he saw them with the golden map his magic painted for him. 

There were twelve dots spread throughout the terrain. Three squads had come, and that wasn’t counting the number of phantoms that were most likely shooting from above again. The one thing he counted on was that these hunters were unfamiliar with the landscape, and if he just delayed them for even just a short time, the fleeing elves would stand a chance, and maybe Chanyeol or Baekhyun could get everyone out.

Kyungsoo checked the surroundings again. He knew he had his work cut out for him, but he also knew what he had to do. The villagers didn’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire.

So he watched from the shadows and protected the fleeing demi-elves, moving to a position where he stood between them and the nearing hunters. He did not have the luxury to wonder how they even found this place or how they got here so quickly. All he could do, as the hunters would near one of the villagers, was subtly hinder the earth where he stepped on, causing them to either slip or slide away from where their targets were headed, saving the villager in the process.

He managed for a few minutes before trouble found him.

“There you are, rider!” A maniacal laugh from above him had Kyungsoo immediately looking up just as a shadow sword came down on him. He dodged it nimbly and had his own sword immediately out.

His opponent struck and he parried every blow that came upon him before Kyungsoo pushed him off. As the person stumbled momentarily, his features were revealed.

Kyungsoo recognized the phantom almost immediately: the one who led the group that had been assigned with him on the mission to capture Jongin. This was the same one who had ordered the others to fire despite the instruction to keep the rider alive. It was just his luck to run into him.

He cursed under his breath. With this distraction, he could barely concentrate on defending the villagers let alone himself.

“I thought you had died back on those cliffs but with dragon riders, you can never be too sure until you have their heads in your fist,” said the phantom as he slashed down on Kyungsoo. “Killing a few tonight will get me the recognition I so rightly deserve.”

Kyungsoo saw red. 

Dodging the attack towards him, Kyungsoo flicked his finger up and a bump on the earth rose. It caused the phantom to trip and with another strike, he disarmed him.

“I do not want to kill you,” said Kyungsoo, low and menacing. “But if we meet a second time, phantom, this blade will be at your throat before you even know it.”

Then Kyungsoo parted the earth where the dark mage lay and buried half his body beneath it. He would be lying if he said he did not enjoy the look on the phantom’s face when he finally put two and two together. 

But the phantom laughed, no, cackled. 

“Oh, this is gold. Pure gold,” he half-gasped, his grin getting even wider. “Do Kyungsoo, a traitor—” he broke off, his laughter bordering maniacal. 

“I am not a traitor!” Kyungsoo gritted out. 

The phantom only laughed harder and raised an arm ripe just as the ground before Kyungsoo erupted in dark smoke. Quickly, he threw up a thin layer of solid earth, but after the dust had cleared, the phantom was nowhere to be found. He cursed under his breath, panic rising in his gut.

Of all times he had to get away, it had to be now when he had absolutely no time to focus on him.

Kyungsoo cursed again but a piercing scream had him returning to his senses. Right, he had a goal in mind, He would see that through before anything else. Get the villagers out. He’ll deal with the consequences later. 

He moved a step forward but a dark wind blasted from the clearing and Kyungsoo knew it was already too late. 

_“Shall we stop this nonsense?”_

The voice rang out throughout the woods, as clear and as distinct as day. 

_“Bring me the white dragon rider and I shall spare this child’s life.”_

Kyungsoo edged around a tree to see the group of people that had gathered in the field by the bonfire and felt his blood run cold. There was Yeji in the hands of two phantoms and a blade of shadows at her throat. The stoic young man clothed in robes darker than the shadows that surrounded him who held the other end of the sword and whose face bore such cold cruelty could only be the second most powerful inherent shadow mage in their kingdom, High Mage Woo Do Hwan.

He stared indifferently at the crying child, a hint of disgust bordering in the tilt of his elegant nos and piercing eyes as he took in the rags that she wore. Yet Yeji paid no mind that she was restrained or that her life was on the line.

No, she struggled against her captors, reaching for the body of a young boy on the ground who was unnervingly still.

“Hyunjin—!” She wailed but immediately shut her mouth when Do Hwan pressed the blade harder against her throat, drawing blood. 

He hissed. “Maybe we should start with ripping your tongue out.”

Kyungsoo glanced around, searching for some kind of sign—anything that could help them in this situation. That’s when he realized Yeji wasn’t the only one who had been captured. About twenty or so villagers knelt to the side, surrounded by the Guild’s hunters. And right by them, in the midst of a dozen guards was Baekhyun but just as Yeji was desperately reaching for her brother, the light elf was reaching for a bleeding Chanyeol also surrounded by guards.

 _No._ Kyungsoo clenched his fist. For the first time, he had absolutely no idea what to do. He couldn’t find a way out of this.

“Do Hwan, don’t frighten the girl.” 

Kyungsoo’s body went cold at the gravelly voice he knew by heart. As if things had not just become worse, the King stepped out from behind the line of guards that stood behind the mage and shook his head. He said a few words, too low to be heard before he pricked up. Suddenly he whipped his head in Kyungsoo’s direction and a slow grin appeared on his face. 

The hunter stumbled back, knees trembling despite himself.

“Is the rider really not coming out?” asked the King as he turned away to glance around the quiet woods. “I don’t have all night.” Only silence greeted him. With a sweep of his hand, he said, “Ah, then he must have run away. Do away with what you will, High Mage.”

And as if Do Hwan shared the same mind as the King, he raised his sword to slash down on Yeji.

 _Shit._ Kyungsoo began to step out of the shadows—and stopped.

A figure came out before him.

"Spare them. You wanted me, right?" 

Kyungsoo whipped his eyes to Jongin in alarm who approached from the other side of the clearing. Burning rage glowed in those hazel eyes of his as he took in the scene of the hostages before him and his bleeding comrades.

 _No no no._

Jongin should not be paying the price for this. 

_Idiot. Completely reckless idiot!_

The King clapped his hands gleefully. “Well, isn’t this a surprise?” His dark silver eyes locked on Jongin, like a tiger playing with its prey. “Dragon rider, it is a pleasure to finally meet you after all the trouble you have caused.”

Jongin glared back at him. “Spare them,” he repeated. “You came here for me, didn’t you?”

“Hmm,” the King said as a small smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. “First off, I'm not entirely fond of the way you speak. I'm sure you know the right way to address me. After all, were you not a citizen of my kingdom?"

Jongin stiffened, his eyes widening, as he realized the King had recognized him but schooled his face a second later. He wouldn’t even give an inch of satisfaction the King was looking for. The villagers’ eyes were on him, too shocked to believe the King’s words. "I don't know what you're talking about,” he replied.

“Your call, High Mage,” said the King, already sounding bored. “How would you teach a lesson for such disrespect? People who would call their own King a liar by denying his own?”

Suddenly the whole clearing went silent as High Mage Do Hwan blinked once, twice, and lifted a finger. However, instead of targeting Yeji who was the closest, he pointed at Chanyeol. Obsidian smoke curled up from the shadows on the ground, twisting up the elf's arm and— _CRAAACK._ The latter’s face twisted in pain, biting down on his lips to keep from screaming as his arm was bent in an angle that shouldn’t have been possible. Kyungsoo blanched and it was as if the world slowed to an almost halt. The loud crack rattled in Kyungsoo’s ears, and as Chanyeol’s knees thudded on the ground, Baekhyun, on the other side screamed.

“No,” Kyungsoo breathed, as the elf’s screams roared in his ears. Jongin was too shocked to move.

 _“NO! STOP IT!”_ This time the shout came from Baekhyun, eyes livid as he struggled, arms outstretched as if he could reach his other half with barely half a step. The guards held the elf fast and all he could do was watch Chanyeol writhe in silent agony. 

These riders were all the same. They placed others first before their own being. Kyungsoo had never seen Baekhyun like this. And as if something clicked inside the white-haired elf, he roared, livid with rage as he suddenly threw himself towards the High Mage, kicking and screaming like a wild animal. It took more than a dozen guards to restrain him but Baekhyun only saw the shadow mage in his tunnel vision.

Something flashed in Do Hwan’s face but it was gone in the next second and a bestial smile appeared on his pale face.

Jongin stepped forward, hands clenched at his side, and bit out. _“Your Majesty_ , please. Stop this. I beg of you as a humble citizen of your kingdom.” 

The King only raised an eyebrow at that. “Aren’t you forgetting something? Is that how you greet your king?” A second passed but it felt like an eternity to Kyungsoo as he watched Jongin get down on his knees. “ _Lower_ , rider.”

Every bit of Kyungsoo’s being was shaking in rage. It rang in his ears, an insistent furious beat, as he saw Kim Jongin prostrate himself before the King. His Majesty smiled once more and nodded towards the High Mage who immediately stopped his magic. 

“Now, isn’t that much better?” asked the King. “Chain him up.”

The guards rushed to Jongin’s side, roughly bringing him up as they locked his hands behind his back and wrapped a mana-infused chain around him. Jongin didn’t answer but only glared back. Kyungsoo knew that as much as the rider was caught between a rock and a hard place at this very moment, his mind was racing as fast as the hunter’s as he looked for a solution. 

If there would be such a solution to this situation.

The King continued as if he hadn’t just commanded such a thing, speaking in that friendly tone he used to call Jongin out. “I hope you don’t mind me asking your other riders to tell their winged friends to give us a little space.” He gestured to Baekhyun and Chanyeol. The fiery elf was looking extremely pale and the smaller still raged at the dozen guards that restrained him. “You see dragons are unreasonable creatures but give them a little incentive and they’re the most obedient.”

Jongin glared viciously from the ground but his voice was calm. “I will come with you willingly, Your Majesty. There is no need for this.”

The King tutted. “Patience, young rider. There will be time for that later.” He neared the rider, tilting Jongin’s face as if inspecting a piece of merchandise with those sharp silver eyes.

 _No!_

Before he knew it, Kyungsoo had stepped out into the clearing, garnering everyone’s attention. All that roiled through his mind was that he had to get Jongin out, defying the voice in his head that told him to _wait._ If he did, he knew he would regret it.

Kyungsoo had come to a final decision and picked the lesser evil he had to deal with.

All eyes were on him. A glimmer of hope sparked in Yeji’s and the villagers’ eyes when they realized the man who had the same magic as their savior Princess finally stepped out.

It was destroyed instantly in the next second. 

“Well, if it isn’t the man who made all of this possible,” the King crowed, holding out a hand to the hunter as if presenting a prized collection. “Come, Captain, and see the fruit of your labor.”

For a moment, Kyungsoo faltered but he kept a straight face. What did the King mean _he_ had made all this possible? How? He had never agreed—

His right leg throbbed for a moment and the knowing smile on the High Mage’s face made Kyungsoo’s blood run cold. The dark veins, the slow-healing wound— _no,_ it couldn’t be...could it? He knew the possibility that all of this was his fault but still, Kyungsoo held on to that slight chance that it wasn’t.

“Thank you for playing your role so _perfectly._ ”

“Soo?” He heard Jongin say, shock and disbelief in his tone.

“Your Majesty.” Kyungsoo greeted the King. It took everything to keep his voice from trembling as his heart thundered along with the ringing in his ears. He removed his mask, walked up to the King, and fell to his knees with his fist over his heart. It went against every part of his soul to kneel before the tyrant who smiled proudly at him. He didn’t dare face Yeji, the riders, or the villagers though he knew all eyes were on him. He wouldn’t know what face he’d make.

Most of all, he didn’t dare face Jongin who was chained up beside him—their two worlds now more distinct than ever. If he did, it’d be all over.

“You bastard!” It was Chanyeol who shouted that, ending in a groan of pain. “I _knew_ we shouldn’t have trusted you! Damn you to all nine pits of hell!”

He could feel the King’s smirk in his voice. “You may rise, Captain.”

Kyungsoo did and caught the eye of the phantom from earlier. The man smirked at him as if he had already won. This up close to the force the King gathered here, Kyungsoo could tell the King had not wanted to risk anything. At the end of the day, this mission was to bring the dragon rider to his knees.

“You were an extremely hard man to find. For a while, I would have believed you dead had your magic not flared up in our shadow-maps just a few days ago.”

 _The temple._ He had been wearing Baekhyun’s magic-sealing cuffs until then. Did that mean the dark veins in his wound were shadow magic residue that had been used to track him?

“The phantoms thought it was a fluke at first,” the King continued. “But it lit up again briefly just beyond Canyeone and that’s when we all realized you were alive and sending us a signal. By the time we reached the place, you were long gone. Then, it came up earlier tonight so I sent a phantom ahead to scour the place. The wards were nasty things.” And yet he had cut through them so easily. “And now, we’re here, in this grand little clearing with everyone in their rightful place.”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, to try and calm himself. A few seconds of using his magic had led to this entire disaster. It was all his fault.

“No...no, you're _lying._ ” 

He refused to turn to that voice—that voice that sounded like it was breaking. 

“Kyungsoo! Say something dammit!”

Kyungsoo turned to slightly face the rider, eyes cold and void of emotion. The only frustration he showed was the fist he kept tightly at his side. 

“It seems you are quite familiar with each other, Captain,” observed the King as he circled both rider and hunter. He clapped his hands as if remembering. “Ah, that’s right. You were both in the Guild together. Isn’t this just absolutely wonderful to see you both reunited like this?”

There was absolutely nothing _wonderful_ about it. But all the same, he nodded and murmured, “Yes.” 

“For now, let’s head back to the capital. Wherever his dragon may be, I’m sure that creature will find its way back to its master.” With an impatient wave of his hand and a swish of the cloak that trailed behind him, the King turned around and the crowd behind him parted instantly. Over a patch of darkness, the King waved his hand and Kyungsoo felt that pull of power from long ago—the same power that had saved him and the rest of the fallen hunters five years back on the cliffs of Canyeone after he had defeated Imyrr. Now, all it brought was a sense of dread. He watched the shadows rise up to form some sort of doorway.

The King was going to shadowstep Jongin back to the capital.

“Your Majesty, before we leave,” Kyungsoo began, stepping forward. “I would like to humbly request that you leave the responsibility of the rider and his trial to Guild Master Lee Soo Man since this rider here was formerly a member of the Guild, I believe...”

The King was already shaking his head before Kyungsoo finished. “I’m afraid that won’t do, Captain. This rider has committed treason against the kingdom of Elyx and the crown by slaughtering those mages and hunters in cold blood. I’m afraid I cannot leave such grave crimes to the Guild nor can I ignore the responsibility to my kingdom.”

Kyungsoo frowned. It had not been proven yet but the King sounded as if he had already made up his mind.

“Bring the rider here.”

The guards around Jongin pulled him roughly to his feet and began marching him to the portal. The rider resisted just before they reached the King. “Your Majesty, wait,” he said. “Give me your word you will not harm these people and I will go with you willingly.”

The King blinked before smiling serenely. “You have my word.”

The guards roughly pushed Jongin, hitting him in the legs when he tried to resist. The ground trembled.

“Ah,” said the King with wicked delight, “though I cannot make the same promise for my High Mage.” He flicked another lazy wrist to Woo Do Hwan who turned towards the guards surrounding the villagers and the riders.

“Kill them all,” the High Mage said before holding a shadow knife up Yeji’s throat, and in one swift motion, slit it cleanly.

Kyungsoo didn’t exactly know what happened next but he knew the world descended into chaos.

All he remembered was the unending rage.

In the same second Jongin roared, Kyungsoo lost all control over his magic. No chains or threats could contain the anger that burned in both hunter and rider’s eyes as they watched the little girl’s body fall to the ground. 

That’s when Kyungsoo turned the world upside down. 

He blasted a wall towards the High Mage, flattening him in between the hard rock that rose from the earth. He would never forgive such violence and cruelty. He moved the earth where Yeji lay and ran to meet it halfway. Rushing towards the group of soldiers, Kyungsoo pulled out his golden sword of Jongin’s and slashed down on them without any hesitation. One, two—they were down before they knew what was up. He grabbed Hyunjin and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt that pulse of clinging life—it was faint but it was there. Hauling him over his shoulder, he tried not to jostle the injured boy but when he got to his sister, he pulled her body into his arms and held her gently.

Closing her eyes, he offered a silent prayer and hoped she would find peace in the fields of Azurya. 

Kyungsoo moved. Faster, he needed to go faster. First, he had to get the twins out of here and next—Jongin, he had to find him. He had already put up a hard wall between the King and the rider but in the chaos that had happened, he had lost sight of him.

Dust and debris flew out as the very earth beneath them fragmented, rising as walls in some places, or opening into yawning pits that plunged the King’s soldiers into darkness. The golden lights of the villagers he saw in his mind’s eye, he protected them. The rest in this godsdamn clearing could join him in hell.

 _Earth-shaker._ That was who Kyungsoo was and he would very well make sure everyone knew it.

He created a path for the golden lights he saw, making sure that in the chaos of this upturned world, the villagers and the riders would somehow get out safely. Fighting broke out once more as magic and swords met. Just when he thought he had made the situation worse, a roar from above had Kyungsoo almost crumbling down in relief.

Hydro flew down from the clouds, Hugo and Kirin flanking him, and standing on the saddle was Junmyeon, whites robes flowing and blade gleaming at his side. Ryujin peeked out from over his shoulder, anger glowing in her amethyst eyes.

“Junmyeon!” Kyungsoo yelled from below and half-elf’s sharp eyes immediately caught him at the edge, narrowing when he saw the state of the children he held. He jumped down, landing lightly on his feet, and Kyungsoo immediately spoke before the healer could say a word. “Get them out of here. The King attacked and we’re outnumbered but we’ve had the element of surprise. Baekhyun and Chanyeol are somewhere in the clearing as well but they’re alive. But Jongin...he was captured by the King.”

Ryujin snarled when she heard that information and Junmyeon’s eyes hardened when he saw the state of the twins and the other villagers that were either fighting or fleeing. “Kyungsoo—” 

“I’ll get him out. Don’t let Ryujin out of your sight.”

Kyungsoo didn’t wait a second longer as he gently handed the twins to the healer and dove back in. The earth continued to tremble and shake at his behest. He didn’t know how long he could keep turning the earth but with the rapid draining of his mana and the slight magic burnout building fatigue in his limbs, he knew it wouldn’t be long.

Arrows, both shadow and metal alike, flew from all directions but they were directed at the dragons that swooped in and out of the darkness and dust. He prayed that some god up there had mercy on them and that the arrows were not laced with dragonsbane.

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo stretched out his hands and willed the earth to bend and form, throwing or blocking any phantom, hunter, or soldier who dared to approach. “Jongin, where are you?!”

He refused to acknowledge the fear that had started to build in his gut. If he let the feeling take over, gave it an inch to dictate his next moves, he’d lose everything.

Kyungsoo knew Jongin was smart, that he would have used the distraction to somehow get out. Still, Kyungsoo searched desperately through the myriad of golden light that filled the clearing.

“Argh! Get back here you rider bastard!”

He whipped his head towards the voice. It was the phantom from earlier, the one who grinned and laughed at Kyungsoo as if he had found an interesting secret. Shadows whipped out from his arms and he was lashing out at someone despite the shaking earth.

It was Jongin. Somehow, the rider had managed to get both his chained hands in front of him and despite the handicap, had managed to survive the phantom with speed alone. He caught sight of Kyungsoo and faltered for a second and that was all the phantom needed for him to counterattack. The black shadows whipped out and it lashed out towards Jongin’s face, drawing blood. Another strike launched Jongin straight into the raised earth.

Kyungsoo roared, vision tunneling as he aimed straight for the phantom—and drove his sword home into his unsuspecting body.

“I told you the next time we’d meet would be this sword at your throat.”

The phantom coughed out blood once before sneering. “Captain Do Kyungsoo, you really are a traitor.” Kyungsoo did not look back once as the phantom’s body thudded on the floor. He rushed to Jongin who was wheezing as he struggled to get up.

“Hey,” he said as helped the rider. “Can you walk?”

Jongin glared at him before coughing once. “Obviously or I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“I see you’re fine if you can still snap at me,” replied the hunter as he looped an arm around Jongin’s waist and slowly trudged him to the dark forest and safety. 

“You didn’t have to come back for me.”

If someone had told him that the events from eleven years ago would unexpectedly play out like this again in the future, he would have never believed him. Yet here he was, returning once again to Jongin’s side in the middle of the battle only this time, they faced far more dangerous enemies than slave traders.

“You really are an idiot if you think I’m going to leave you behind again.”

They managed a dozen steps before a voice rang out to them and a figure stepped out of a patch of darkness before them.

“My, my. I see that Jinyoung’s information was right after all. The captain was indeed helping these elven scum.”

Kyungsoo pushed Jongin slightly behind him as he faced the shadow mage. His mana was now greatly depleted and the world had finally come to a halt. Still, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the golden lights in his map were far enough now from the clearing. Now, it was just up to him to get Jongin out.

Kyungsoo glanced behind them and the fear he felt in his heart finally consumed him as he saw another shadow portal open up, holding the King and his guard. The ruler of Elyx didn’t look entirely surprised when he saw the hunter desperately holding on to the limping rider.

It happened in an instant. There was no grand display of power, no flashy moves, no sudden savior hunters appearing again. 

Their luck had simply run out.

The King struck and a wind of shadows ripped Jongin away from Kyungsoo as the darkness beneath his feet held on to him like tar.

“Kyungsoo—”

The High Mage flew out towards him, silent and deadly as an adder, his obsidian sword of shadows in his hand. Kyungsoo was not nearly fast enough to dodge it and it struck him, embedding itself in him, fire and pain erupting. Do Hwan smiled as he leaned into Kyungsoo’s ear, driving the sword even deeper in his body.

“I hope it pains you in hell, hunter,” whispered the High Mage as soft as a lover, “knowing you were not enough to save that half-elf rider.”

 _What?_ Kyungsoo stopped breathing.

“You didn’t know?” The High Mage laughed, the first of cruel joy lighting up his dark eyes. Blinding pain shot out Kyungsoo’s body, hot as day, as the High Mage pulled his sword out slowly, twisting it. “All this time and you had absolutely no idea?”

Kyungsoo fell to his knees, his vision blurring, and the start of magic burnout began to eat away at his being. Whatever was in that sword, it had ripped out something vital in him.

“Kyungsoo!”

He heard that voice—knew it was the same one who had first called out to him in that carriage from long ago, knew it was the same voice who had saved him countless times. Kyungsoo’s vision faltered but it took all the strength that was left in him to find the owner.

To find Jongin.

He watched the High Mage step around him, returning to the King’s side at the shadow portal he had conjured. Right behind him was the rider, struggling against the shadow chains collaring him and the dozen guards that restrained him. He was shouting but the words were unintelligible, smothered by the ringing in Kyungsoo’s ears and the fire in his gut. Several kicks had the rider down in seconds.

Jongin was about to be taken away but all Kyungsoo’s pathetic self could do was watch him go. 

“No,” Kyungsoo croaked, crawling towards the King. “ _Jongin!_ ”

The King sneered and swept his cloak, blocking the fallen rider. The darkness at their feet rose up to encompass them and his cold voice rang out in the space between them, each word spoken slowly. “How truly pitiful, Do Kyungsoo.”

He struggled to get up—

But Kyungsoo lost Kim Jongin to the darkness once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [watch out for the epilogue soon ;)]


End file.
